topic Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners in Holiday

Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Carolina925 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:48:03 GMT

What do you serve to drink for your holiday meals? We always drank wine but things have changed this year and alcoholic beverages are out. Any suggestions other than just water? All I can come up with is water with limes, lemons, or oranges but looking for suggestions. We drink iced tea but the family is divided and some want it sweet, some with no sweetener at all.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Regal Bee — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:54:20 GMT

Iced tea...sweetened and unsweetened, water and wine.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

mimomof4 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:54:25 GMT

How about Tonic water with juice of your choice - Cranberry, Orange, Limeade (my kids favorite), etc. You get Fizz and can put in a wine glass if you want.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Chopsmom — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:00:19 GMT

When i was a child, my mother served fresh apple cider from a local orchard. I could drink gallons of it.

Now, we have iced tea. My husband drinks it unsweetened and I put Splenda in mine. You can always serve unsweetened iced tea and offer sugar or sugar substitutes on the table and everyone can customize it to their taste.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Carolina925 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:01:22 GMT

@mimomof4 , I like that idea.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

skatting44 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:01:26 GMT

Wassail

We would make one version warm with alcohol , red wine brandy, orange juice cranberry juice and mulling spices . Some would add ice and drink cold.

The wassail mixes that are premade are extremely sweet so we would make our own .

We would make a non alcohol version or Chai ice tea.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

laluzdelmundo — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:01:28 GMT

We serve Martinelli's Sparkling Cider at holiday dinners, as well as iced tea. For those who want their tea sweet, we provide sugar and also have lemon on hand. Also, our ice cubes for the tea are made with Fiji or other bottled water because they freeze so much clearer than even the Brita water cubes. The adults often have coffee with dessert.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

wagirl — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:07:23 GMT

Mixed drinks or beer---and sparkling waters and then there are the hot buttered rums/brandies too---whatever we want---no one over indulges tho---

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Iwantcoffee — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:17:24 GMT

If your family enjoys iced tea I would make that, one sweet one unsweetened. If you do not have time to make it on Thanksgiving Milo's is a good brand of tea.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

mspatmac — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:18:14 GMT

Everyone gets to choose their beverage of choice (within reason) I have a selection including sparkling cider, sparkling flavored and unflavored water, ice tea, ginger ale, assorted soft drinks, wine etc.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

LindaSal — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:10:06 GMT

DH and I always drink wine but my adult kids don't drink at all. I always have bottled spring water, carbonated water, coke and ginger ale on hand. Then of course different coffee's to go with dessert. Also they do have wine and beer with no alcohol, that's always an option.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

GinaV24 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:25:15 GMT

@laluzdelmundo we have Martinelli's sparkling cider too. I really enjoy it. I keep some around just for me to enjoy.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Forbidden Fruit — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:49:13 GMT

We also serve what others have mentioned here but we also make homemade punch. It's pretty simple. We just google recipes and try a new one each time. People seem to enjoy the change and there is usually no leftover punch. If we bring it to someone else's home, I usually freeze the mix in an empty gallon ice cream container and then put it in a punch bowl when I arrive so it can melt in time for the meal.

Also, it is a rule in our family that if you want something special-bring it yourself. Don't expect the host/hostess to supply everything.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

On It — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:28:06 GMT

We have sweet and unsweetened iced tea. We make the sweet tea by heating and dissolving the sugar into the water used to dilute the brewed tea. It is a chemical change. The sugar becomes a part of the water and does not separate like sugar added at the table which is only a physical change and will separate. I think sweet tea is a Southern thing.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Marsha2003 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:21:53 GMT

When we used to do the big holiday dinners for 30+, we would offer water, a selection of soft drinks, plain iced tea and sweetened iced tea. I agree that iced tea sweetened when it is hot so the sugar melts into the beverage is preferred by the iced tea drinkers in our family.

These days, we usually only have 8 - 10 and serve water and plain iced tea. I don't think anybody in the current group drinks sweetened iced tea.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Sooner — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:28:26 GMT

Some cans of flavored mineral sparkling water like Perrier would be handy chilled. It comes in non-calorie and low calorie types I think--at least it used to. Also would be good for after the meal for something light and fizzy and single serving.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

Jk9 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 19:00:25 GMT

Growing up, we never had alcoholic beverages at holiday dinners. Always just sweet and unsweetened tea, water and carbonated drinks like colas and ginger ale. Neither my immediate family nor my husband's immediate family serve alcoholic beverages at holiday meals.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

KathyM23 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 20:58:22 GMT

We have sweet ice tea brewed and bottled unsweet ice tea. Mix of soft drinks and water.

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

ninjawife — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 21:49:44 GMT

@wagirl wrote:
Mixed drinks or beer---and sparkling waters and then there are the hot buttered rums/brandies too---whatever we want---no one over indulges tho---

@wagirl DH was just talking about hot buttered rum a few days ago. I have never had it. Do you know how to make it?

Re: Beverages for Holiday Dinners

kug — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 21:53:19 GMT

I make a slush out of pineapple and orange juice, lemonade, sugar and water. I freeze it and then spoon it into a cup and eat as is or I like to add 7-up or Sprite. Very freshing and everyone can drink it without alcohol worries