Thanksgiving Libations

I guess one advantage to having a small intimate Thanksgiving at home is not having to assign someone to be the designated driver. It’s rare for me to cook a full turkey dinner and so we had to do some research on wine pairings. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised that “the experts” we found online agreed with our thoughts that a Pinot Noir would be the best choice.

Decanter.com noted that since turkey is a white meat that doesn’t have a strong flavor, a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red would work. Their other suggestions are: a mature Bordeaux, Rioja or Barolo, Gamay Beaujolais or a Chardonnay if you prefer white wine.

We’re all set for the main course with a pinot noir but I also wanted something festive to serve with appetizers. Since we wouldn’t be driving anywhere, a seasonal cocktail sounded like a great idea! I planned a classic vodka and cranberry juice, made with white cranberry juice and some homemade candied ginger.

It sounded like a great idea since I had to make the candied ginger for my Natural Fruitcakes which would be basted with brandy over the next few weeks (recipe online at BerkshireStyle.com and I could also use it in some Christmas cookies. Candied ginger is also perfect for settling an upset tummy due to overeating! Note: you can use store-bought candied/crystallized ginger slices but you won’t have the ginger simple syrup by-product from making your own so your cocktail might taste a bit more tart than mine.

Although I love the tart flavor of the traditional cranberry juice, I think the clear white version has a bit of a smoother, sweeter taste. Besides, a clear cocktail garnished with a stirrer piercing some candied ginger pieces would be pretty!

But 2020 is the year when nothing can be taken for granted. For some reason I cannot possibly explain, every single grocery store in our area has bare shelves where the white cranberry juice usually resides! First it’s toilet paper, then Lysol, and now white cranberry juice that’s gone MIA. But thanks to online ordering, I was able to purchase some which, by pure coincidence, got delivered just before I sat down to write this piece.

Although it’s just a little addition to your Thanksgiving feast, I hope that while you enjoy the cocktail. Then take some time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area and how we have a lot to be grateful for. Like the flavors in the drink – sometimes life is bittersweet.

CRANBERRY COCKTAIL with CANDIED GINGER

For the candied ginger:
1 pound fresh ginger root
3 cups granulated sugar, divided

For each cocktail:
4 ounces (1/4 cup) white cranberry juice
1 ounce vodka
1 teaspoon ginger simple syrup
Candied ginger for garnishing

To make the candied (crystallized) ginger slices: Peel and slice the ginger into very thin pieces (about 1/8 inch thick). Place the ginger into a small pot, adding enough water to just cover the pieces, bring to a boil, then let it simmer, covered, for half an hour.

Drain the ginger, reserving one cup of the flavor-infused water used to boil it. Return that water to the pot, add TWO cups of sugar, bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Add the boiled ginger slices back to the pot and let it simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Drain the ginger slices again, reserving all of the ginger simple syrup (sugared water) for later use. You’ll use it in your cranberry cocktails. Store the ginger simple syrup in a small container in the fridge.

Spread the ginger slices to dry on a wire cooling rack with a layer of foil underneath to catch any drips. Let the ginger slices cool for two hours. It should be slightly sticky and malleable at this point. Put the remaining one cup of sugar in a medium bowl and add the ginger slices – tossing gently to coat. Return the ginger slices back to the cooling rack to continue drying for several hours or overnight. When completely dry, store the candied ginger in a tightly sealed container.

To make the cranberry cocktail: Put ice cubes into an old-fashioned glass, filling it about halfway. Add four ounces of white cranberry juice, one ounce of vodka and one teaspoon of your reserved ginger simple syrup. Stir well to combine. Garnish with a swizzle stick piercing 2 -3 pieces of candied ginger slices.