Holiday hosting — hold the hangover
Not all partygoers will be pouring back bubbles, so here’s how you can serve them
If you’re inviting friends or family over this holiday season, you’re probably stocking up on booze, bubbles and other bon vivant bottles. But you’ll likely encounter plenty of people choosing to drink less, or not at all: The wellness buffs, the pregnant-with-pandemic-babies, the general abstainers, the designated drivers (RIP, Zoom parties) and those who just want one glass.
So how do you set up an inclusive spread — and offer guests something delicious to sip on that isn’t Toronto tap water? We asked a few of our favourite beverage experts in the city to weigh in on their holiday hosting advice.
Prep your bar wisely
“People are coming to hang with you, not watch you work,” says Robin Goodfellow of the hotel-lobby-bar-inspired restaurant Vela. “If you’re making cocktails, do punches or pre-batch larger-format drinks; think sangria, mulled wine, or hot toddies made in crockpots.”
Consider flipping cocktails on their head: Start with recipes that taste great sans alc, and then spike them as guests fancy. Brenton Mowforth, the cocktail photographer and influencer behind @cheerstohappyhour, always has “a few non-alcoholic spirits on hand to sub into cocktails,” with the favourites being Seedlip, Ceder’s Wild and Sobrii. For wine and beer fans, brands like Töst, Acid League, Libra and Athletic Brewing Co. offer like-minded alternatives.
“If you have people who don’t drink, you don’t want to single them out, right?” says Will Predhomme, co-owner of Gargoyle Wine Club and Praise Bottle Shop. “You want to create a comfortable environment.” His coolers are always stocked with a selection, allowing guests to choose their own adventure.
“Overall, I look for crowd-pleasing options,” says Predhomme. “Mediterranean white and red wines tend to be just delicious in winter. Celebratory crémants. Instead of canned sodas, I love stocking Fentimans, Fever-Tree, and Mexican Coca-Colas from Kensington Market.” You can also create a SodaStream station, where guests can sparkle their own water and then customize with bitters and garnishes. (Bitters are generally made with alcohol, but you’d use only a few drops.)
Set a festive mood
Predhomme starts the party when guests walk in the door. “I’m a huge fan of putting something in someone’s hand when they arrive. Usually, that’s sparkling wine, but I keep a non-alcoholic option like Fever-Tree around as well — it allows people to feel welcome while they’re getting themselves situated.”
It’s the season to “make your menu festive,” says Goodfellow. “Offer cocktails that have a holiday flavour profile, with beautiful glassware and fun garnishes.” Likewise, Mowforth is obsessed with extras such as rosemary and cedar: “I love including yuletide ingredients that remind me of childhood Christmas.”
Kristen Voisey, founder of Cocktail Emporium, also owns a full range of seasonal simple syrups, mixers and bitters that can quickly turn up the holiday cheer. “I take a normal cocktail such as a G&T and add a few dashes of (Scrappy’s) Cardamom Bitters,” says Voisey, who will also make a Moscow mule with Raft Cranberry Five Spice Syrup or Top Shelf Spiced Cranberry Bitters, or do an old-fashioned with a bit of Nickel 9 Smoked Apple Bitters or Kvas Northern Maple Old Fashioned Simple Syrup.
Mix things up with substitutes
“Nobody should feel left out because they are not drinking,” advises Voisey. “So if you are making guests cinnamon whisky sours, offer the same cocktail for the nondrinker using alcohol alternatives, such as Lyre’s American Malt to replace the whisky.
If mixing rosemary clove French 75s, use Sobrii Non-Alc Gin and Grüvi Dry Secco. Everyone looks like they are drinking the same thing and feels included in the festivities ... minus the hangover.”
You can rely on these bottles to create lower-octane cocktails, too. “I’ll use non-alcoholic spirits as an ingredient in regular drinks to take the edge off,” says Mowforth. Add faux prosecco to lower the alcohol content in a spritz, or add it to orange juice for a mimosa that won’t derail your day.
Pace the party.
“It’s the time of year where we do everything in excess,” says Predhomme.
So he buys genuinely tasty nonalcoholic options not just for abstainers, but also to help the regular drinkers stay hydrated and shrug off hangovers. All are served in real glasses with ice and garnishes.
Similarly, Mowforth offers zeroproof cocktails to help pals sober up between rounds. “It helps us make sure everyone gets home safe.” Delicious drinks that have no or low alcohol also allow your taste buds to dictate your decisions, devaluing the physiological effects of booze. “These promote cocktails as an experience of flavour instead of as a means for getting tipsy,” says Mowforth.
“There’s a tendency for most people to put alcoholic drinks on a pedestal over non-alcoholic drinks, which aids in the pressure people feel to drink,” concludes Goodfellow.
“It’s best to strive to provide options so appealing that people who want to drink alcohol also want to drink the non-alcoholic option. It shouldn’t be a second tier or afterthought. This is key to an inclusive evening.”