Ah, Thanksgiving, that time of year when everyone gathers together to eat, drink, and be merry, and discuss the state of the family over turkey dinner while wondering why this person isn’t here, that person wasn’t able to make it, and what’s going on in the lives of everyone there. Oh yeah, it’s enough to make a person want to start drinking the moment they walk in the door. To be fair, not every family throughout the country is as screwed up as we see on TV or in the movies, and Thanksgiving is usually a fun time for a lot of people. Those that want to fixate on the old stories of the pilgrims and the indigenous folk and obsess over what really happened and why it’s so important now are another reason why a bottle of booze should be nearby and ready to pour, but if you’re the type that doesn’t fuss over the far-flung past, then you might just be enjoying a drink for the hell of it while you sit down to watch the game or enjoy the company of relatives you thankfully only see a few times out of the year.
Let’s be real, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, obviously, for what we have and to be grateful for good friends and family. But there are those times when you can’t help but want a drink nearby to nurse or chug as you see fit, especially if Uncle Norton or Aunt Millie decides to start getting a wild hair up their ass about how your life should be going by now. It’s an example, don’t read too much into it.
Here are just a few drinks to consider trying for your Thanksgiving holiday.
To be honest, you can label any drink as a holiday drink, but some are definitely geared toward certain days or seasons at the very least since they simply have that taste and flavor profile that paints them in that light.
- Pecan Pie Martini-It sounds odd on the tongue, doesn’t it? If you’re not a fan of creamy alcohol this might not be for you, but it’s a testament to how manufacturers have toyed around with alcohol flavors to think that they’ve made a pecan flavored liquor. Anyway, fold this in gently with Irish cream liquor, some vanilla vodka, and a dollop of heavy cream over ice. If you’re really wanting that pecan crunch then you can crush up a bag of pecans and mix them with brown sugar to dip the rim in. If you’re a pecan lover this is your drink.
- Apple Cider Mimosas-Realistically you could start drinking these the moment that you’re midway through September, when the summer is officially over. Apple cider is, after all, one of the things a lot of us look forward in the fall. It’s usually best to find a slightly thicker cider to mix in with the sparkling wine you’ll want to use for this drink. Plus, this is great for pretty much the entire winter if you’re up for it.
- Spiced Cranberry Hot Toddy-Normally you’d use something different for this, but so long as you don’t mind the biting zip of the cranberry taste, you should find this rather appealing. You might not think that the heat of this drink would work well with the fruity flavor, but it plays quite nicely with the bourbon that will take the place of the whiskey. Of course, it’s your choice on what to use, we’re just making suggestions. But if you want to counteract the tartness of the cranberry you might want to mix in a small orange, just be sure to pierce it so that you’re actually getting the juices and sharpness that can help make this drink worth it.
- Pumpkin Spice White Russian Cocktail-That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? You’ll be wanting a mouthful of this sweet concoction if you’re a pumpkin spice lover. It might appeal to the basic iindividuals, but while it might appear to be pumpkin spice creamer with vodka, it also has a nice little snap to it thanks to the coffee liqueur that the drink calls for. It is a lot of sugar though, so it’s always possible to use sugar-free pumpkin syrup and a bit of coconut milk to cut down on the sugart intake.
- Why be fancy? You can’t go wrong with whiskey and Coke, or straight shots, or even simple mixes that don’t require a lot of thinking or fancy, schmancy names that make them sound better. Face it, if it’s Thanksgiving and you can handle your booze, you’ll be drinking.
And now, you know it, on to the food.
The booze is to calm you down a bit so you can enjoy yourself and not worry about Uncle Rodney trying to tell you how you should have married that long-legged homewrecker a few years ago, or Aunt Mabel telling you that you’re ruining your life by still working at that fakakta job of yours. Once the food comes out, everyone is ready to shut up and get to grubbing, at least for a handful of minutes in which the blessed silence is only broken by the sound of chewing. But what kind of foods do people enjoy on Thanksgiving? It’s a cultural thing to be certain, but here are at least a few common foods that you could find around a lot of tables.
- Turkey: As you go around the table there’s one thing to remember, that turkey died to give you a meal, so don’t just take a sliver and move on. Grab a hunk, white or dark meat, and respect that bird by sinking your teeth into it and savoring every bite. If it’s dry, use gravy, if it’s nice and moist, then your thank the chef. But start at the bird and move around.
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy: Oh, those buttery mounds of spuds splashed liberally with that dark brown gravy are too tempting to let go of. If you’re on a keto diet, then sorry, but not sorry, since you’re missing out on a pillow of food pleasure that is there for the taking.
- Cranberry Sauce: Hey, to each their own. To me it looks too much like, well, I’ll be nice and won’t say it, especially since a lot of folks like it.
- Yams: Who’s grandma made the best yams in the world? I’ll be there are plenty of people that could chime in and give their two cents about it.
- Stuffing: Hey, it cooked in the bird, it’s worth a taste, and most times it’s downright heavenly since if you do it right, that stuffing comes out tasting like a chunk of giblet and bread heaven spiced just right with herbs and seasonings. Who cares if it came out of a bird’s butt?
- There’s just too much to list, since some some folks have ambrosia, various casserole dishes, olives and pickles, stuffed celery, and various other treats. But one thing you can’t forget is up next.
- Pie: Oh my the pie, you can’t forget this after Thanksgiving dinner, and you’re gluttonous butt better leave at least one pie-sized gap open in your stomach so that you can have a bit of whatever was made for this special occasion, be it pumpkin, a pudding pie, a creme pie, or whatever. If you skip on the pie you’re not doing it right.
I gotta say, this is how I enjoy my Thanksgiving most years, and it works every time. I’ll watch the game before, during, and after dinner with a full belly and a nap steadily incoming, and it’ll be a damned good day, no matter what the relatives have to say about my life, work, or….or…zzz… You get the point.
WTR?
Unless you want to focus on how it started instead of how people think of it now, which is a positive switch I assure you, Thanksgiving is a great time for family and friends to get together and have a good time, discuss how things are going, and catch up in ways that they won’t do again until the following year. But most of all, it’s a time to be thankful that you do have folks in your life that care enough to pester you about your life and what you’re doing with it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving next week Radasser’s, and enjoy.
