The Thanksgiving Cocktail to Rule Them All (plus wine recs)
Cocktails or Wine? Wine or Cocktails? And Which Ones?!
THANKSGIVING DRINKS SOLVED. WINE. COCKTAILS. AGED OLD FASHIONED RECIPE. OTHER LIBATIONS.
Friends! Think of this like your 24-hr turkey hotline, but for T-Day liquid. I’m here to talk you down off the ledge— Remember that everything will be fine. Great, even.
. . . What to drink with Thanksgiving—it’s the yearly question that gets a gobs of ink from drink journalists. Is it better to have cocktails? Wine? What about cider and beer? What goes with turkey? What about the white vs the dark meat? What pairs with tofurkey?
STOP. Hold on.
We’re trained as Americans to jump onto the anxiety train and we’re made to think we must do exactly the right thing — not only culinarily— but also according to this year’s trends. Give us the answer! Tell us the key to unlocking Turkey Day pairing! This anxiety means that if we’re hosting, we feel we need to be ready any scenario — prep the N/A cocktails! The White Claw! The boxed blush for grandma!T he bacon-washed Manhattans for drunkle (there always seems to be someone playing the role of drunk uncle)!
Let’s break down some Thanksgiving libations with some real talk.
WINES
Most Americans drink wine with Thanksgiving, statistically. An alarming number of them will be drinking grocery store Cabernets that have nothing to do with Thanksgiving food. Classic T-Day food is poultry and a lot of, well, fairly bland carbs. These go perfectly with light, fresh red wines like Pinot Noir. I use T-Day as an excuse to open a lot of Beaujolais. While I’m not saying that heavier wines can’t pair, this isn’t the day. Skip those cabs and zins. If you look at wines like a spectrum on a restaurant menu from lightest to heaviest, Thanksgiving pairs with what’s at the top of that list — more rosé than anything inky. In fact, have rosé!
What about white? Definitely. This is a great day for Riesling. But also Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Bubbles? Yep. There are worse ways to start a Turkey Day meal than popping a cork. And those bubs will lift what can an otherwise be a heavy meal.
Here’s an extra tip: Serve bottled water at Thanksgiving. After all, this is a big, long meal. Spend a little coin on some good mineral water and you’ll make the day extra memorable. This is a relatively inexpensive way to up the hospitality, but also provide a relief from the food.
COCKTAILS
Thanksgiving for most people is a meal of stability — that is, a lot of people make the same dishes each year with slight variations because these foods give them a sense of timelessness and well-being. Thanksgiving dishes are reliable in an unreliable world. What most people really want are well-executed classics. This is true of cocktails alongside the meal as well. Martinis are a great start, and so are Old Fashioneds. Think a little less about what pairs than what makes you feel contented and at home. If that’s an Amaretto Sour (surprisingly good with turkey and fixings), then do it. This meal is about familiarity. I personally consume and serve a lot of rum at Thanksgiving. Rum brings a little sweetness to the party and is oh-so-good with sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn pudding, and more. Plus, I like to think that consuming rum helps place the drinks in context with the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 (the first rum still opened on Staten Island in 1640, but hey, we’re close). Similarly, the early American libations port and madeira are appropriate after the meal. But back to the main event. . .
AGED RUM OLD FASHIONED
This is a cocktail that shows up in my book Booze Cruise: A Tour of the World’s Essential Mixed Drinks in connection with the city of San José, Costa Rica. It appears there because CR’s big rum producer is Ron Centenario, which specializes in aged rum. Any aged rum works in the recipe, from Brugal to Ron Zacapa. I’ll tell you this is a thing of beauty — especially with Thanksgiving foods. The aged rum gives extra richness and the citrus gives the necessary lift. These will be my signature drink this holiday.
AGED RUM OLD FASHIONED
1 orange peel
1 brown sugar cube
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 ounces aged rum
Muddle orange peel, sugar, and Angostura bitters in a rocks glass. Add rum and ice and stir.
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Sooo, what about cider? Yes, serve something like a Stone Fence — the drink Ethan Allen and his boys drank before storming Fort Ticonderoga.
Beer? Yep. Belgians with a little fruit are really going to shine here. Or try lager. Stouts are also a great pick.
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