What To Serve Before, During and After The Turkey?
Want to impress your Thanksgiving guests with a couple cocktails, the right wine and perhaps a glass or two of punch? We’ve taken the liberty of suggesting a couple ways to mix up something special for your turkey dinner.
Pre-dinner – Let’s being with the aperitif. This drink is served with the purpose to prepare the palate for the tastes to come. A JP Wiser’s Canadiano brings a twist to the classic Negroni, perfect to enjoy while waiting for dinner to be served.
JP Wiser’s Canadiano
Ingredients
- 1 oz. J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe
- 1 oz. Campari
- 5 oz. Soda Water
- Orange Slice Garnish
- Ice Cubes
What you need
- Rocks Glass
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice and garnish with an orange slice.
First course
The first course is lighter, typically a salad and perhaps some finger foods like cooked shrimp or stuffed mushrooms.
Light fare calls for a light wine, like a Stoneleigh’s Sauvignon Blanc It displays lifted tropical fruit aromas, with the dominance of passionfruit, citrus blossom and grapefruit.
A light and refreshing cocktail, the Northern Gimlet is perfect before dinner and with a fresh garden salad.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Ungava Premium Gin
- ½ oz. Kayak White Vermouth
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. grapefruit juice
- ¾ oz. simple syrup
- 2 dashes egg white
- Spruce Beer
- Fresh dill (for Thanksgiving, we recommend replacing this with a sprig of rosemary, which will get you ready for that turkey!)
- Pink peppercorns
- Ice cubes
Instructions
Combine gin, vermouth, lemon and grapefruit juices, syrup and egg whites in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with spruce beer and garnish with pink peppercorns and dill (or rosemary).
Main course
Time to serve the highly anticipated turkey. Turkey is a versatile dish when it comes to wine pairings, matching well with both reds and whites.
For a white, pour The Foreign Affair Winery Unoaked Chardonnay. On the nose this wine has aromas of ripe pineapple, white peach, guava and lemon cream, perfect to accompany the star dish of the evening.
If you or your guests prefer red, the deep ruby red colour and fruity finish of to Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz, is an exceptional pairing with turkey and gravy, with blackberry and ripe plum with integrated charry notes and a lovely soft finish.
Dessert
Impress your guests with a Havana Club Autumn Punch. This fun cocktail serves 10 guests and will allow you to share autumn flavors with all your loved ones. The perfect finish to a wonderful diner.
Ingredients
- 500 ml Havana 7
- 200 ml Honey water
- 100 ml Fresh lime juice
- 500 ml Pressed apple juice
- 10 Thyme sprigs
- 30 Ice cubes
What you need
- 1 Punch bowl or large jug
Instructions
Fill a punch bowl with ice and add the honey water, Havana 7 and lime juice. Add the apple juice and thyme springs and stir well. Ladle or pour into glasses, garnish each with a thyme sprig.
There you have it, a full menu of drinks to help you host a perfect thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy!
This post was suggested to us by Corby’s who we often partner with to spread spirited news.
