Thanksgiving is a holiday that is all about the food. From the question: to have turkey or not to have turkey to whole or jellied cranberry sauce, everyone does it their own way. One thing often forgotten, though, is the drinks. So, today we answer the question of, “How to choose drinks for Thanksgiving.”
A wonderful drink can enhance a meal or cleanse a palate. Too often, the first “decent” wine that can be grabbed will, without much more than a thought. It doesn’t have to be that way. This can be the year that you enhance every bite and astonish your friends and family by choosing the perfect drink to go with your family’s Thanksgiving meal. Just think how everyone will be raving to your friends and family at the Union Square Holiday Market about how you rocked Thanksgiving this year.
How to Choose the Perfect Thanksgiving Drink
First, it is most important to consider when you will be having your Thanksgiving drinks. Do you need a drink for your guests while they socialize before dinner or will you be serving food with the drink? Will you need a drink to go with your dessert course or were you looking for a nightcap?
Before the meal, you will want a lower-ABV Thanksgiving drink. You will often find that people opt for champagne, vermouth, or sherry in this situation. While after dinner, your guests will be more likely to enjoy a good scotch or whiskey. Amaretto and coffee liquor also make good sweet options.
When serving alcoholic Thanksgiving drinks with your food, there are a few rules you might want to remember:
- Fresh dishes go best with light drinks including light-bodied wines, German pilsners, and blonde ales.
- Full-bodied wines and red ales go best with rich, creamy, or protein laden dishes.
- If serving a dessert wine, it should be as sweet or sweeter than its edible counterpart.
- Try to match textures as much as possible. If the food is rich and silky, then so should the drink be. If the food you are serving is crunchy, try opting for a drink with lots of bubbles.
- Successful mixed drinks depend on the quality and quantity of the ingredients you put in them.
How to Choose a Mixed Drink for Thanksgiving
There are so many Thanksgiving drink ideas that you could be reading them until Thanksgiving three years from now. There have even been whole books dedicated to the topic. How do you know which one will go best with your dinner?
Once you have settled on your top few drinks, the easiest way to decide which one to have is to do a mini taste test. This will give you absolute proof of which one you will enjoy the most.
If you are unsure of which brand or variety of alcohol you want to use in your Thanksgiving drinks, it’s time to visit The Winslow and have a talk with our friendly and knowledgeable bartender. They can give you helpful advice and perhaps even point you in the direction of what you might like best. You can even try a flight of gin to determine what might work best in your holiday drink and discover what your gin says about you.
Holiday Drinks at The Winslow
Whether you are in the holiday spirit or you have had enough of the holidays, come into The Winslow and have a drink. Good times are always happening here. And, while you’re here, we can discuss how the team at The Winslow can help you throw the best holiday work party in December and rock that upcoming corporate team building event in 2023. Too soon?
National Happy Hour Day at The Winslow