holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Guidelines and Tips Following are general guidelines to estimate how much liquid you will need for a party. For a 2½-hour party, allow about half a bottle of wine or champagne, 8 ounces of liquor, 1 quart of beer, or 16 ounces of mixed punch for each guest. Another rule of thumb is to figure that each drink you serve will last about 20 minutes. Multiply the number of 20-minute segments of the party by the number of guests. Count on about 4 to 5 glasses per bottle of wine.
Mixed drinks can get complicated. Serve what feels comfortable to you. It’s perfectly acceptable to offer beer, wine, and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks (bottled water, juices, soft- drinks, Raley’s Sparkling French Soda and non-alcoholic beer). You can always offer one standout drink (margaritas, martinis or mulled wine) to add to the mix. Raley’s Sparkling French Soda is an excellent mixer that eliminates the needs for extra steps and more costly items. Try Raley’s blood orange or pomegranate sparkling French soda paired with your favorite raspberry or vanilla flavored vodka. Use Raley’s sparkling French lemonade for recipes that call for lemon juice and sugar (like a lemon drop) to kick it up a notch.
Make sure you have enough ice. Estimate about 1 ¼ pounds of ice per person (one 5-pound bag for four persons, one 50-pound bag for every 40 persons). You’ll also need supplies such as napkins (2 per person), glasses, corkscrews, bottle openers, fruit garnishes and stirrers. Wine glass charms or tags (available in several styles including paper) are also great to cut down on glass usage. And remember, you always save 10% when you buy six 750-ml. bottles or more!
Featured Cocktail: A little bit of lemon bliss Just wet the rim of a martini glass, roll in sugar. Shake together one ounce vodka to one ounce lemonade with handful of ice and strain into your prepared glass… super easy but looks swanky. (You can swap this staple recipe around by using vanilla vodka or flavored vodkas like Absolut Acai Berry.)
Wine and Appetizer Pairings Although there are no hard and fast rules when pairing food and wine, try to match the “weight” (density and richness) of the wine with the “weight” of the food for best results. Try light white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and sparkling wines with cheeses such as feta, goat, Havarti and Gouda and nuts such as almonds and candied walnuts. Chardonnay is a great all-purpose white wine that complements a variety of cheeses and appetizers. Reds like Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Merlot stand up to spicy foods and bold-flavored cheeses such as cheddar, Brie, Parmesan, and gorgonzola. holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Make This, Drink That Season’s sippings become season’s eatings faster than you can say ’tis the season.
Sweet Sugar Crusted Biscuits Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 8 to 10 minutes Serves: 8
Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together 2 cups prepared baking mix and 1/4 cup each: VIP Crème de Cassis liqueur, orange marmalade, milk and chopped walnuts. Knead several times on a floured board, then press into a 10 X 5-inch rectangle; cut into 8 equal squares. Brush on both sides with milk, then dip in sugar, turning to coat all sides. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Nutrition per serving: 226 calories, 3 g protein, 8 g total fat (2 g sat., 1 g trans), 35 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 15 g sugar, 5 mg cholesterol, 383 mg sodium, 6 points
Bolshoi Punch Stir together 1 cup Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice, 1/2 cup Skyy Blood Orange Vodka, 1/4 cup rum and 2 tbsp. VIP Crème de Cassis Liqueur in a pitcher with ice. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 drinks. holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Whiskey Brown Sugar Bacon This sweet glazed bacon was a huge hit in our test kitchen but we couldn’t decide the best way to serve it. As is? Crumbled over waffles or ice cream? Stirred into Nutella? You be the judge!
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Serves: 8
Cook 1 lb. bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Drain bacon grease and wipe skillet out with a paper towel. Stir together 2 tbsp. each: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and brown sugar and add to skillet. Add bacon back to skillet and turn to coat both sides with mixture. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, turning bacon and shaking pan occasionally, until excess liquid has cooked off and bacon is glazed. Nutrition per serving: 122 calories, 7 g protein, 8 g total fat (3 g sat., 0 g trans), 4 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 21 mg cholesterol, 434 mg sodium, 3 points
Honey Mint A spin on the classic bourbon-based mint julep that’s also delicious warm. Muddle 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves in a tall glass (press the leaves with a spoon against the side of the glass.) Add 2 oz. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and top with crushed ice. Makes 1 drink. holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Sweet Italian Baked Ricotta Serve warm for a simple dessert.
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Serves: 8
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter two 1-cup baking dishes. Whisk together 1 cup ricotta cheese, 2 tbsp. each: Galliano Liqueur and honey, 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest, 1/4 tsp. each: cinnamon and nutmeg and 1 egg. Pour into prepared dishes and bake for 30 minutes or until center is set. Serve warm spooned over biscotti or waffle cookies. Nutrition per serving: 138 calories, 6 g protein, 7 g total fat 4 g sat., 0 g trans), 10 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 58 mg cholesterol, 51 mg sodium, 3 points
Chocolate Milk Punch Stir together 1¼ cups Cask & Cream Chocolate Temptation and 1/2 cup Galliano liqueur. Garnish with grated chocolate. Makes 4 drinks. holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Holiday Ham Glaze Great for ham, or try this tasty glaze on a pork roast or chops.
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 5 minutes Makes: 1 cup
Bring 1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate, 1/4 cup each: Drambuie liqueur and pure maple syrup, 2 tbsp. lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. ground allspice to a boil in a small saucepan; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Brush over ham several times during roasting until all glaze is used. Nutrition per serving (1 tablespoon): 36 calories, 0 g protein, 0 g total fat (0 g sat., 0 g trans), 7 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium, 1 point
Winter Honey Stir together 2 oz. So Delicious or Silk Coconut Milk (in the Natural Foods Dept.), 3/4 oz. Drambuie liqueur and 1/2 oz. rum in a microwave-safe mug; microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve. Makes 1 drink. holiday host holiday planner beverage guide
Holiday Spirits It’s the party of your dreams: fizzy cocktails that make your party pop – all at a sparkling price.
Sparkling Mojito Stir 2 oz. rum, 3/4 oz. lime juice and 1 tbsp. powdered sugar together in a cocktail shaker or small pitcher. Muddle 5 mint leaves (by mashing against the side with a long-handled spoon) in the shaker. Strain into a tall glass over ice, top with 2 oz. sparkling wine and stir lightly to mix. Garnish with a sprig of mint, if you like. Makes 1 drink. Tip: You always save 10% when you buy six 750-ml. bottles of wine and/or spirits. Now that’s sweet! Pomberry Splash Add 5 oz. sparkling wine to a cocktail shaker or small pitcher. Muddle 5 blueberries and 3 raspberries (by mashing against the side with a long-handled spoon) in the shaker. Stir in 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice and 1 tbsp. powdered sugar; strain into a tall champagne flute. Makes 1 drink. Tip: You can use pomegranate juice cocktails on the bottled juice aisle instead of 100% pomegranate juice to save a few coins. Honey Fizz Stir together 6 oz. sparkling wine, 1/2 oz. cognac, Calvados (French apple brandy) or brandy and 2 tsp. honey in a tall champagne flute. Garnish with an apple wedge, if you like. Makes 1 drink. Tip: We think this cocktail is better with cognac or Calvados, but you can also opt for less expensive brandy. Bubblin’ Ginger Lemon Place 2 tbsp. limoncello in a small dish with 1 slice fresh ginger; cover and let stand overnight. Pour into a champagne flute and top with 6 oz. sparkling wine. Makes 1 drink. Tip: If you’re making these cocktails for a crowd, you can find a range of bubbly under $10 – like Yellow Tail Sparkling, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Freixenet, Cristalino and Korbel. Citrus Basil Sparkler Combine 2 oz. pink lemonade, 2 oz. orange juice and 1/4 tsp. basil (optional) in a cocktail shaker or small pitcher. Pour into a tall champagne flute and gently stir in 3 oz. sparkling wine. Makes 1 drink. Tip: You can skip the basil for a less savory cocktail, if you like.