Inquiring readers want to know what's on the libational agenda at the Banks household on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks for asking! Here's the plan:
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Bloody Marys. We might have to start a little later than schedule, depending on when the last guest departs from the neighborhood get-together we host every year on Thanksgiving eve. (Let’s just say some of our friends aren’t as eager to see their in-laws as are others, and can throw 'em down pretty hard in anticipation.) If we all make it to bed by midnight, there should be no problem. Regardless, my elder daughter will lobby for a spicy, Southwestern-style Bloody Mary by Bobby Flay she found on the Internet. I'll push for a recipe from Kingsley Amis I came across when I was going through my Lucky Jim phase. I will probably lose. Either way, the drinks will of course be served in pint glasses, with a lemon garnish. No celery, and certainly no olives.
1:00-4:00. As if devout Shakers, the men and women will separate, and move to opposite ends of the house. My son and I will proceed to the den and drink beer while we watch the football. (I might buy some Narragansett, now that I think of it. It's brewed right here in New England and so is the closest we can get to real Pilgrim beer.) Mrs. Banks and the girls will retire to the living room, where they’ll likely sip champagne and St-Germain as they immerse themselves in the bevy of Real Housewives episodes they've accumulated on the DVR. A holiday tradition.
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4:00-5:00. Cocktail hour. Whiskey for the men, champagne for the ladies.
5:00-7:00. Thanksgiving dinner is served, with assorted red and white wine selected by Mrs. Banks. I've learned to not ask what it costs.
7:00-8:00. After-dinner drinks. A line-of-scrimmage call. I'll probably have a Manhattan; I’ve always assumed Manhattans are the nearest thing to what the Pilgrims and Indians had at the very first Thanksgiving. (I have no factual basis for this supposition, by the way, but it's mighty convenient on holidays. I also happen to believe, for example, that Mr. and Mrs. Washington drank Manhattans to celebrate on the day George was born, that Columbus mixed himself one in his cabin on the Santa Maria to mark his discovery of America, and that the members of the Continental Congress ordered a round to toast each other with after they signed the Declaration of Independence.)
8:00-11:00. Family movie time. If it features Hugh Grant again this year, I'll mix myself another Manhattan. It will be a double.
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Am already thirsty in anticipation! It’s bound to be a great day. Here, by the way, are the recipes I’ll be using:
Bloody Mary. Pour 1 jigger of vodka over ice in a pint glass. Fill with tomato juice. Season with hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a pinch each of celery salt and black pepper, and the juice of a thick lemon wedge. Add the wedge as a garnish.
Champagne and St. Germain. Pour equal parts champagne and St. Germain (available at and ) in a champagne flute. Garnish with a strawberry slice. If you’re feeling thrifty, feel free to substitute Prosecco for the champagne. I know I’ll try to.
Manhattan. Pour 4 parts bourbon and 1 part sweet vermouth over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Add a dash or two of bitters, and garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Have a question about cocktails or entertaining? Ask Conrad, or visit him at Conradbanks.com.
