Festive drinks are as much a part of holiday celebrations this time of year as cookies, jolly music and awkward small talk. But with so many appealing options — and with so many people doing some of their only big entertaining of the year — choosing what beverages to serve can lead to decision paralysis.
If you want to go with your typical beer and wine strategy, by all means, proceed. If, however, you’re trying to figure out the best spirited batch drinks to share with a crowd, then these tips and advice are for you.
The first rule, according to Dan Searing, a mixologist, cocktail historian, author of “The Punch Bowl” and partner in Washington, D.C.’s Room 11: “Know your crowd.” If you know your friends are mostly vodka drinkers, don’t make a rum or whiskey drink. If it’s a diverse group, start with a base (cider, hot chocolate) that can be spiked with your guests’ choice of spirits.
Or take the opposite approach and commit to something that is a full-on “experience,” such as the Scandinavian gl?gg a friend introduced Searing to. Pegging your beverage selection to a particular region, country or culture is fun and interesting. Searing suggests looking into others such as Atholl brose, a Scottish drink similar to eggnog that uses oat-infused water. He also recommends Mexican hot chocolate (more on that below) and said he’s been intrigued by boilo, a Pennsylvania specialty that blends whiskey with honey, spices, fruit and for some people, a boiled-down soda syrup.