Thanksgiving: LET’S DRINK TO IT

The holiday crunch is upon us. And while you may have planned your Thanksgiving menu — traditional or something with a twist — if you haven’t decided what to serve your guests pre, during and post meal, here are a few suggestions.

Pre-dinner: Apple Pie Cocktail
3/4 ounce Bacardi Traditional White    
Rum
1/4 ounce Martini & Rossi Rosso
Vermouth
1/4 ounce Apple Brandy
1/2 ounce Lemon Juice
dash of Major Peters’ Grenadine

Stir in a mixing glass with ice, and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.


Chocolate Pumpkin Pie-tini

3⁄4 ounce vanilla flavored vodka,
Smirnoff®
1/2 ounce Irish cream liqueur, Baileys®
1⁄2 ounce coffee liqueur, Kaluha®
1⁄2 ounce crème de cacao
1⁄8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, Irish cream, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne pepper. Add ice; cover and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass.




During Dinner: Wine

Serving wine at Thanksgiving, can be a challenge because of the variety of dishes and flavors. If the dish is sweet (sweet potatoes), look for wine with fruitiness. If the dish is spicy, look for wine with low alcohol content to minimize the heat. Acidic foods such as cranberry sauce or collard greens, call for a wine with acidity, for it to stand up to tart tastes. Pinot Noir is a great silky, sensuous red wine that meets all of those characteristics. With its typical tart-berry fruit, warm spices, and earthy aroma, it’s a slam dunk for Thanksgiving. A pinot can do right by almost all the exuberant side dishes a turkey requires.

You might also want to try mulling wine in a crock pot. Mulling spices are available in most fine wine stores and specialty food markets. It’s a great and cozy addition for a holiday meal, that you may just want to make a holiday tradition.

Post-Dinner: The Ciroc Truffletini
1/2 ounce Ciroc Vodka
1 ounce Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with Godiva Milk Chocolate Truffle or White Chocolate shavings.