Holiday Entertaining Tip #3: Create a Specialty Drink

Food Network hosts have been promoting this tip - offering your guests a specialty drink - for years now.  It makes sense; you buy less alcohol so you save money on your party.  The components of the drink can also be served on their own for the guests who just don't want the specialty drink.  It saves you time, too.  You don't have to spend all night playing bartender.

The real trick is finding one that most people will enjoy.   That's not an easy task.

My friend, Ginny, likes to take sweet Florida Muscadine wines and create martinis and cosmos with them.  I borrowed this idea from her.   I think I came up with a winner.   My drink is a -

Sweet Wine Manhattan

1 part Scotch
2 parts Sweet Red Wine

Shake it all up with ice in a cocktail shaker.  Serve in a martini glass and garnish with an orange slice. 

How simple is that?

What I love about this drink is that it's not a "girly" drink.  Men and women will enjoy it.  Even people who say that they don't like Scotch won't even realize it's in there. 

Lakeridge Winery in Florida has a wonderful Southern Red that not only works great for this drink, but also for mulled wine and for making Sangria.  If you can't find a sweet Red Muscadine wine in your area (Lakeridge does ship to many states), an old classic such as Inglenook Sweet Red will do you in a pinch.   It's very inexpensive; might even bring back a few memories for you of your younger days -  especially if you are a country girl like me!

By the way, did you know that Francis Ford Coppola plans to revive the Inglenook brand?   http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/32535/coppola-plans-to-revive-inglenook-brand/

You don't need to break out the aged single malt for this either.   A nice blend will do.  Just look how pretty and festive that drink is!

Next,  I'm going to be posting an Italian style meal that is perfect for easy entertaining.  

See you soon!

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