So you want to give the gift of alcohol this Christmas. Here are a few ideas on what is appropriate to for those special (or not so special) people in your life.
ABC fine wine and Liquors offers numerous holiday gift sets that include a variety of liquors and wines grouped with cheeses and spreads. For $18.99 you purchase a gift basket with Cavit Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay enhanced cheese, summer sausage, stoned wheat crackers and European chocolates. This would be a good gift for the mother in-law.
For a little more money, you can give a gift basket called the Triple Threat which includes The Big Ass Cab, Big Ass Chard, and Big Ass Zin, cheese, crackers, summer sausage, cookies, Walker’s Biscuit Assortment (chocolate chip, chocolate chunk/hazelnut, oat/ cranberry), Belgian chocolate chunk and white chocolate/raspberry), Lindt chocolates, Cella chocolate covered cherries, pretzels, and more. This gift basket costs $129.99 and would be a great gift for your outgoing boss.
I think a well-suited gift for your friends that are of age to drink alcohol would be their favorite alcoholic beverage a few cool shot glasses. If your friend is a vodka drinker a good brand would be Grey Goose. You can print your own shot glasses $.45 on www.discountmugs.com. Or include some bar glasses, you can find some interesting ones on www.cb2.com. They even make mold where you can form shot glasses from ice. This will surely keep your liquor shots cool. If you are hosting a party you can have dozens of these frozen shot glasses already prepared and filled with the liquor in the freezer. You can purchase the frozen shot maker on www.thisnext.com.
Champagne is always a good gift to bring to a party because it is the party drink. Champagne will instantly conjure up happy memories for all guests at party. A good brand to bring is Gratian Brut Champagne for around $25.00. It is slightly dry but sweet and is the most popular therefore will please the most people. Also recommended are Heidsieck and Co. Blue Top Brut, which goes for about $25; Philipponat, a very good one (which) you can get for $20 to $25; Pol Roger; and Cattier and Henri Abbele, which go for around $20. Those are some good inexpensive Champagnes.
If there will be a lot of people at the party and you are hosting you may want to make a special alcoholic punch. Be sure to let people know that it has alcohol in it and make one bowl that’s non-alcoholic as well.
A good recipe to try is:
Santa’s Sleigh Ride
6 cup(s) Everclear
6 oz. Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktail
3 cup(s) Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
2 bottle(s) Cooler
1 bottle(s) Cooler
1 gallon(s) Hawaiian Fruit Punch (Red)
Fruit (Apples, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, pineapple) (Seagrams wild berry pina colada wine cooler) (Seagrams wild strawberry daquiri wine cooler)
2 can(s) Bacardi Rum Runner Drink Mix
2 bottle(s) Cooler (Seagrams wild berries wine cooler) (Blackberry Jack)
6 oz. Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktail (Tropical Punch Jack)
Slice the fruit and Make sure the slices are not too small. Pour the everclear and other the alcoholic ingredients in and mix well. Then add the Hawaiian punch and rum runner drink mixes. Again mix well. Let sit for at least 2 days (if not more) in cool area. Good for up to three weeks if kept cool. Serve well chilled and the fruit can even be eaten for an extra treat.
The best circumstance to give wine is from woman to woman or brother to sister or when eating as a guest at friends house for dinner. Try the Honey Moon Viognier for less than $10 at trader Joes. It contains hints of jasmine tea with honey and Asian pear. At finer wine and spirits store look for these: 2005 Muscadet, Domaine de la Pepiere; Everything a muscadet should be or 2003 Penfolds Bin 2, Shiraz Mourvedre; Great everyday house red.
Drink responsively!
Happy Holidays!
