What Goes With The Holidays?

This is the time of year when alcohol is needed -even if it's in small doses. Serve only champagne or wine at a holiday sit down dinner. What about those holiday buffet parties? Do you go for mixed drinks or rum punch? Do most situations call for a bartender and a well stocked liquor cabinet?


For Christmas Eve and definitely New Year's Eve, champagne is in order. Again I'm a big Prosecco fan so that's what I would recommend. It's not as sweet as Asti Spumente or other sparkling wines.it's light and lemony- just the right taste to go with overly flavorful appetizers and hors d' oeuvres. I also would recommend it at a Christmas Eve dinner if you' re serving turkey. chicken , or veal,. For a Christmas dinner, of course, there are the wines. Roast beef and crown rib deserve to be accompanied by a hearty red. Fish, such as a sole in meuniere sauce should have a white wine such as sauvignon blanc. If you have an olio of different meats such as red meat, white meat and fish then put out a few bottles of different wines for you and your guests.



Holiday parties are another animal. A lot of people are just satisfied with a glass of Pinot Grigio or Merlot. Then there are the cocktailers who want to try every "tini" out there or any variety of mojito. To make it easier on yourself limit your selection. This way you wont have guests (and yourself sick with a cornucopia of different mixed drinks. if you know what your crowd likes then stock only those liquors. Another easy way out is just create a punch. Champagne punch is the best. One of my favorites is frozen strawberry concentrate mixed with an Asti. You can also create a rum punch if you;re serving heartier fare. Just remember that some people may not be into any of this so still have bottles of wine and liquor on hand.

It;s hard to decide what to drink with holiday fare. It's best to stay with the basics such as wine and champagne. Add liqueurs and mixed drinks along with the many punches if you want something different. Just remember that any kind of drink is the best one for toasting the holidays.