Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or adding more leaves to your table than a maple tree, holiday hosting is a stressful affair.
Will the house be clean enough for your mother-in-law's impossible standards?
How do you accommodate your nephew’s dairy allergy at a table swimming in butter, cream and cheese?
Most importantly: how much booze do you get to keep everyone’s glasses full?
We can’t help with the former two questions, but the latter is kindddddd of our thing. Keep reading for your complete guide to buying alcohol for holiday gatherings, including what to get, how much to get and our secret hack for having the most stress-free holiday season ever.
It’s our number one most-asked question every holiday season, and for good reason. Nothing ruins Friendsgiving quicker than running out of pinot before the turkey’s out of the oven. On the other hand, you don’t want to overdo it and waste money and precious counter space on bottles that won’t be popped.
So, here’s the easiest equation to remember: Your average guest will consume 2 drinks within the first hour of an event and one drink every hour after that. The rule of thumb is 50% of your guests will prefer wine, 30% will prefer beer and 20% will prefer spirits.
Let’s walk through a case scenario. Let’s say you’re inviting 15 people over for a Friendsgiving that will last around 3 hours. That means your guests will consume around 60 drinks total over the course of the event. If we’re going by the aforementioned rule of thumb, you’ll need 30 glasses of wine, 18 cans/bottles of beer and 12 servings of a batch or ready-to-drink cocktail of some sort.
There are around 5 glasses in each bottle of wine, so we’d recommend getting 6 bottles of wine, a 24-pack of beer and making a festive batch cocktail, like this Cranberry Pinot Punch.
The real truth, though? You’ve gotta know your crowd. If your group likes to party, double up on these serving suggestions. If they’re more interested in what’s for dinner than what’s in their glasses, go more conservative on drink options.
Similarly, if you know your friends and family love bourbon, skip the batch cocktail and get a couple of bourbon bottles for everyone to try.
When in doubt, round up. You can always return what you don’t use, but you can’t get back the time you’ll take to run to the store if you need to restock in the middle of the event.
If you’re looking to get a smattering of beverages that everyone at your holiday table will love, you’ve come to the right place.
We asked Dave Malone, ABC wine expert, what his top wine, spirit and mixer/garnish recommendations are for holiday hosting, and he didn’t disappoint. Keep scrolling for his curated shopping list.
“My first and best recommendation for Friendsgiving is Champagne or sparkling wine. This type of wine is very food friendly, making an easy pairing across a variety of food types. Plus, bubbly is always good to have when celebrating,” Dave said. “For red wine, I’m a huge fan of pinot noir. Again, it pairs nicely with a variety of foods and has a crowd-pleasing flavor profile.”
Dave’s favorite pinot noir? Surprisingly, it’s not from France.
“If you want to try a delicious, affordable pinot noir off the beaten path, it’s Casas Del Bosque Pinot Noir from Chile. For under $15, the value is unbeatable.”
Tequila, vodka, gin, whiskey, mezcal and more...there are as many different types of spirits as stars in the sky. Don’t shoot for the moon and try to stock up on everything. Choose a couple spirits and a cordial or two that will appeal to the masses and make those stretch. Pour them for guests on the rocks, in a simple cocktail or let them mix and match themselves.
Dave recommends having good bottles of bourbon (to add to eggnog, of course), vodka and a fun cordial/liqueur or two this holiday season.
"For cordials, my guilty pleasure as of late has been the Russo Pistachio. Not only is it fantastic when served on its own, but it can also be added to ice cream to make adult boozy desserts or to make fun, creative holiday cocktails,” Dave said. “For an extra festive flair, consider a bottle of limoncello or crème de cassis to make fun Champagne cocktails.”
Again, there’s a plethora of mixers and garnish options out there, so pick a couple and stick to them. Cranberry or orange juice are fantastic, festive mixers, as are sodas like cola, ginger beer or club soda.
As for garnishes, fresh herbs, spices and citrus never fail to please. Rosemary is an obvious choice because it looks like a winter fir branch, but you can also go for sage. Cinnamon sticks and star anise make any cocktail look elegant. Finally, fresh or dehydrated orange slices are the simplest way to serve a mixed drink with flair.
If you want to spring for edible glitter or a crushed candy cane rim, go for it! ‘Tis the season, right? But don’t feel bad about grabbing a bag of dehydrated orange slices and calling it a day, either.
We promised you a cheat code for hosting this holiday season, and here it is: let ABC Concierge do all the work for you. It really is that simple.
What’s Concierge? It's our team of party planning experts that provides complimentary consultation services for any type of occasion. These consultations can be conducted either in-person at one of our locations or remotely via phone or email.
Our Concierge team specializes in assisting guests with the entire beverage menu planning process, regardless of the event's scale or budget—from intimate gatherings to large, lavish galas.
When requested, they also offer expert selection suggestions and precisely determine the appropriate quantities for each category of wine, beer and spirits. To ensure a perfectly customized order, they ask detailed questions about the event, such as the food menu being served or any specific theme. This approach ensures they create the perfect customized experience for you and your loved ones.
“We have never offered a ‘one size fits all’ type of service for any guest,” said Kelly King, Concierge Manager.
So, why stress? Let ABC help you stock up for every celebration — big or small. Cheers!
