Not everyone drinks alcohol. I learned this lesson the hard way when my sister-in-law showed up pregnant and I had nothing to offer her except tap water and Diet Coke. Embarrassing.
Now I always have something interesting for non-drinkers. Here’s what actually works at Thanksgiving.
The Easy Wins
Sparkling cider. The fancy kind in the wine bottle, not the Martinelli’s from the grocery store (though that works too). Pour it into wine glasses and people feel included in the toasting. Simple but effective.
Sparkling water with bitters. Sounds weird, works great. Tonic or sparkling water with a few dashes of Angostura bitters and a lemon twist. Looks like a cocktail, tastes grown-up, technically non-alcoholic.
Good ginger beer. Not ginger ale—actual spicy ginger beer. Fever-Tree or Bundaberg. The heat and sweetness work surprisingly well with turkey and gravy.
The Slightly More Effort Options
Cranberry shrub. Vinegar-based drinking syrup mixed with sparkling water. Tangy, festive-looking, interesting enough that drinkers get jealous. You can make it ahead or buy it.
Apple cider with spices. Warm it gently with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise. Smells like Thanksgiving, tastes like fall, appeals to everyone. Keep it on low heat throughout the meal.
Non-alcoholic wine. Hit or miss category, but the better ones have improved a lot. Gruvi and Sutter Home Fre both make passable versions. Let people who are abstaining feel like they’re participating in the wine pour.
What Doesn’t Work
Overly sweet drinks. Thanksgiving food is already heavy with sweetness from cranberries, sweet potatoes, sometimes the turkey glaze. Adding a sugar-bomb drink makes everything cloying.
Plain water with lemon. It’s fine, but it signals “I didn’t prepare for you.” Put in minimal effort to show you thought about it.
Kids’ punch at an adult table. Non-drinkers aren’t children. Give them something that matches the occasion.
My Actual Setup
I put out a self-serve station with sparkling water, a nice ginger beer, and sparkling cider. People can help themselves without having to ask. Takes the awkwardness out of it.
For hot drinks, a pot of spiced cider on the stove serves double duty—non-drinkers have something warm, and drinkers can spike theirs with bourbon if they want.
The Point
Nobody should feel like an afterthought at a holiday meal. Having good non-alcoholic options isn’t about accommodating a problem—it’s about being a decent host. Takes five minutes of thought and makes a real difference.
