In 1621, the Plymouth Colonists and Wampanoag tribe shared an autumn harvest feast now known as the first Thanksgiving. While cooking methods and table etiquette have changed as the holiday has evolved, the meal is still eaten today with the same spirit of celebration and overindulgence.
Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests really ate at that first feast?
Contrary to popular belief, they didn't sit down to a meal featuring turkey, corn, cranberries and pumpkin pie. In fact, they didn't even have forks. Nor did the pilgrims dress exclusively in black and white and show up wearing shoes and hats adorned with buckles.
But the important question is: What did they drink back in those days?
If you think alcoholic beverages have nothing to do with the history of the United States, you're missing a big opportunity to discover the influential power of the beverages that shaped America.
Historians assure us that the Mayflower was headed for Virginia, but not the modern-day Commonwealth of Virginia. The ship and crew were part of the Virginia Company, which held the rights to most of the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. Because of a navigational mistake, the Mayflower ended up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south.
According to a pilgrim's diary, it wasn't only for the stormy seas that they had to land in Cape Cod, but because they ran out of beer, too.
What beverages should you provide to your guests? As far as wines go, there are a few choices that go well with traditional Thanksgiving food.
Let's start with Chateau Ste. Michelle. Washington State's oldest and most prestigious winery offers award-winning wines and a tasting experience second to none. Its gewürztraminer offers aromatic fruit flavors, followed by a crisp, refreshing finish. Also from the same winery, try the Johannisberg Riesling. With ripe-peach and zesty grapefruit notes, this off-dry wine delivers fresh, crisp flavors with a nice, lingering finish. Both whites go well with the sweet, jammy taste of cranberry sauce and turkey or glazed ham.
If red wine is your cup of tea, try George DeBeouf's Beaujolais nouveau. Made from gamay grapes, it must be released by the third Thursday of November, regardless of the date of the harvest. Beaujolais nouveau is a light, highly acidic wine. It should be consumed within a few months of its release, and is meant to be a fun wine.
Echelon's 2002 pinot noir exhibits tasty, dried fruit flavors. The wine's textures please the palate and make it a nice match with turkey meat.
If you're an Italian wine lover, your best option is to look for a Chianti Classico. All of the above wines sell for $ 9 to $12.
A beer that is particularly well-suited for Thanksgiving because of its seasonal, unique taste is from New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire amber ale. The beer is Frambozen, a raspberry brown ale. It's a pleasant, approachable beer, created by adding ripe, Washington State raspberries to brown ale. The result is a rich, unique brew for the holidays.
Hot Spiced Cranberry Punch
Of course, I couldn't omit a drink recipe, especially one to help warm you up on those cold desert nights. Here are the ingredients for about 15 5-ounce servings:
1 pint Montecristo rum
1 quart pineapple juice
2 cans jellied cranberry sauce (Homemade will naturally taste better.)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups of water
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Method: Bring to a boil sugar, 1 cup water, salt and spices. Crush cranberry sauce with fork, add the rest of the water and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add cranberry liquid and pineapple juice, then add rum. (For a stronger, more pungent taste use Myers's Planters' Punch rum.)
Garnish with a dot of salted butter and a cinnamon stick.
Pumpkin Martini
For the welcome cocktail, try the pumpkin martini, created by Marie Maher, Bellagio's assistant director of food and beverage.
1 ounce Vox Vodka
1/2 ounce Goldschlager schnapps
1/2 ounce Leroux butterscotch schnapps
1 ounce orange juice and Half and Half mix (combine equal parts of both and add a few drops of orange food coloring.)
Method: Shake and strain into a 7-ounce cocktail glass
Garnish with cinnamon-sugar on the rim.
Francesco Lafranconi, a master mixologist, is a beverage specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits and the director of the Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.