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New Year's Eve drink menu

By Sam Dolnick, Associated Press
Published December 27, 2006

Sparkling wines

If you're having a big party, you might not want to break the piggy bank to buy good Champagne.

Recommendations: Sparkling red wines or frissante red wines, like lambrusco, are great for parties, says Lesley Townsend of Astor Wines in New York. They pair so easily with food. And cheap. They usually cost between $10 and $20. Cava, a sparkling white wine from Spain, is a great, and cheap, substitute.

"They always sell very well," says Townsend. "You often just want something bubbly in a glass, so for that you might as well get the $6 bottle. The least expensive Champagne we carry costs about $30."

Punch

It's not just for frat parties or nursing home mixers. Done right, it's a fashionable addition to the holiday party.

"Punch used to be a noble beverage," says Dave Wondrich, spirits editor at Wine & Spirits magazine. "If you return to its roots, you can find some amazing drinks."

A big bowl of punch is self-serve, which means the host won't be stuck behind a bar. "It's festive and it's fun. Everybody gathers around the punch bowl and they're all surprised to find a really good drink instead of something collegiate," Wondrich said.

Hard cider

Nothing like the fresh stuff you get at the farm stand. Consumed heavily throughout Europe but still a relative unknown in the United States, hard cider has an amber hue and a clean, crisp taste that's great with cheese, seafood, poultry. Just about anything, actually.

"A grilled cheese sandwich with Granny Smith apple slices in it and maybe some bacon in it and a glass of cider and I forget my name for a good 30 seconds," says John Fischer, an associate professor at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Recommendation: Look for Woodchuck Draft Cider, Cider Jack or Hornsby's Hard Cider at well-stocked liquor stores or specialty beer shops such as World of Beer in Clearwater (2809 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd.; (727) 797-6905) .

Maraschino liqueur

Forget that sickly sweet red stuff coating Shirley Temple cherries. This is an Italian liqueur with a nutty flavor that's big this year and can be used in plenty of popular drinks.

"It's made from sour cherries in northern Italy," Wondrich says. "The cherries are pressed with their pits, so it's nutty and kind of funky and adds a unique and fun flavor to things."

Recommendations: Look for the Luxardo or Stock brands. Among cocktail geeks, a popular maraschino drink is called the Aviation, which calls for gin, maraschino liqueur and fresh lemon juice.

Fresh mixers

The fresh ingredient movement has migrated from the classy bars to the home.

Recommendations: Make sure to have fresh orange juice, fresh limes, fresh herbs and fresh everything else on hand.

"The cocktail renaissance has reinforced that fresh things make better cocktails. Always," says Anthony Giglio, who edited the mixology book, Mr. Boston Platinum Edition.

Winter beers

Cold nights call for dark beers. The rich, heavy taste is perfect for those not opting for wine or spirits.

Recommednations: Samuel Adams' winter brews deliver. Also worth checking out is Samuel Adams' Chocolate Bock, a big dark beer made with a special blend of chocolate. "They're quite cool, but they only do minimal amounts of it every year and it sells out in a second," says Ray Isle, senior wire editor at Food & Wine.

Rose Champagne

If you must go for Champagne, at least tweak it a bit by going with rose.

"I'm a big fan, because its not only beautiful but much closer to red wine and therefore more flavorful and food friendly than regular Champagne," Giglio says.

But don't come looking for bargains here; they're usually more expensive than regular Champagnes.

Rum and then some

This Brazilian sugarcane rum might be the next big thing.

"A year ago, no one even knew what it was, and now we have three shelves of it," Townsend says.

Some brands taste like light rums, but it comes in a huge variety of tastes and aromas.

Recommendation: GRM's cachaca smells and tastes like bread pudding - a perfect holiday treat. Look for it at well-stocked liquor stores.

Before we replace old vices with virtuous New Year's resolutions, we get one final reprieve, one last night when we can embrace the drink without guilt.

Champagne may be the traditional star of the party, but it's possible to free New Year's Eve from its French handcuffs.

From sparkling wines and Italian liqueurs to hearty beers and hardy ciders, here are some ideas to get the party going, at least until those resolutions kick in.

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[Last modified December 26, 2006, 11:23:35]