Whether you're celebrating Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a small dinner for two, the best part of your dinner isn't what's in your glass, it's your guests around the table, and the conversations over your hearty dinner.
Not everyone at that table is drinking alcohol, and for so many different reasons (not that you need a reason to not drink alcohol!). Someone is driving home, someone is expecting (but not telling), someone has an early shift the next morning, or maybe they just don't feel like it. No one should be handed a glass of water, while everyone else has a thoughtful pairing for their Thanksgiving dinner.
A good non-alcoholic drink invites everyone to the same table. It gives everyone something to toast, and something to pair with the turkey, the pie, and keeps your attention on the conversations around you, instead of thinking about who is drinking what.
Roasted turkey may be the star, but we think that each dish is worthy of a non-alcoholic drink pairing.
Roasted Turkey
Golden and juicy, and the dish everyone has been smelling for hours. A roasted turkey is mild enough that it needs a lighter wine that won't overpower it. A Pinot Noir is probably the easiest pick you can think of.
DIVIN Pinot Noir
If you're serving a classic roast turkey, a Pinot Noir is one of the easiest picks there is. DIVIN Pinot Noir is bright with cherry and redcurrant and has fresh acidity. The red fruit does the job of cranberry sauce, so every bite gets a little sweet-tartness. The acidity cuts through crisp skin and gravy, so the last fork tastes as good as the first. It's light on its feet too, which means you can keep sipping all night long.
Stuffing & Gravy
Toasty bread soaked in butter and herbs, crisp on top and soft in the middle, then buried under a ladle of gravy. It's the dish half the table is secretly there for, and it's rich enough to need a little backup.
Hitachino Nest Non Ale
Hitachino Nest Non Ale has toasty amber malt backed up by some citrus. The malt mirrors the toasted bread in the stuffing and the roasted flavours in the gravy, so it feels like they belong together.
Maple Glazed Carrots or Roasted Squash
Sticky maple glaze and dark caramelized edges, it's the sweetest thing on the plate before dessert even shows up.
Bulwark Original Craft Cider
Bulwark Original Craft Cider is crisp apple with a touch of sweetness. That sweetness matches a maple glaze and roasted caramelized edges of any veggies. Apple, maple and roasted squash are a classic fall trio.
Pumpkin Pie
Spiced pumpkin pie with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, a flaky crust, and a cloud of whipped cream on top. You couldn't possibly have any more room, but of course you're going to ask for a slice.
Free Spirits Espresso Old Fashioned
Free Spirits Espresso Old Fashioned brings oak, caramel, vanilla, and roasted espresso. Pour it over ice and you get dessert and after-dinner coffee in one glass.
Thanksgiving is coming up soon on Monday, October 12. Santé Dry Bottle Shop is open Friday to Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, at Crossroads Market in Calgary, so there is still time to stop in and stock before the big dinner. You can also browse the non-alcoholic wine, beer, cider, and cocktail collections online. However the table looks this year, everyone gets something good to raise a glass with.
