On the Night Before Thanksgiving...
The Busiest Night for Bars in America & Cocktails for the Long Holiday Weekend
Today’s Thanksgiving Eve Holiday Special is available to all readers thanks to the generous support of Casamara Club.
Casamara Club founders Jason LaValla and Erica Johnson got tired of choosing between lackluster flavored seltzers and sickly sweet sodas and mocktails when they wanted a non-alcoholic treat at the end of the day, so they took inspiration from Italian amaro and aperitivo culture to make a line of adult sodas, each with complex flavors and an extra dry finish. The result is a line of sophisticated and refreshing botanical sodas.
In fall of 2018 they introduced their first four amaro-centric flavors in bottles. Alta is their classic Italian aperitivo, reminiscent of a Negroni. Como is a breezy Alpine-style soda, inspired by Braulio. Onda is their coastal, Sicilian-style flavor, inspired by the warm, herbaceous flavor notes of Averna. Sera is their citrus- and spice-forward take on the Aperol Spritz.
Since then, they've reintroduced all of their flavors in cans, including two fun new flavors from around the world: Isla, a Caribbean-style mellow ginger soda, and Fora, a delicious New Orleans-inspired "red drink" with strawberry and hibiscus.
You can find Casamara Club sodas across the US and Canada, at retailers like Boisson and top bars and restaurants like Lilia, Dame, and Inness in New York; Ladder 4, Lula Cafe, and Pompette in the Midwest; and Mr. Jiu's and Chez Panisse in the Bay Area.
If you want sophisticated, refreshing non-alcoholic drinks at-the-ready all through the holiday season, use promo code LASTCALL15 to save 15% on any online purchase from the Casamara Club Shop through Monday, November 27, 2023.
Thanksgiving Eve Holiday Special
If you’re currently on a plane, in a train, or stuck in traffic on the highway, I wish you safe travels to your destination this Thanksgiving holiday. And if you’re making one last stop at Trader Joe’s or the local greenmarket to check off those last-minute items from your shopping list, good luck!
The only item I think I still have on my shopping list is a package of slider rolls for leftover sandwiches, but that can wait until Friday. I usually make a dry-brined, spatchcocked turkey but this year I ordered a smoked turkey breast from Hometown Bar-B-Que in Red Hook. My first Thanksgiving in Brooklyn I ordered a Greenberg smoked turkey, from the renowned Tyler, Texas, purveyor, which came highly recommended. It wasn’t my bag and usually, with exceptions, I’m not that into smokey, peaty food and drinks, but I’ve had Hometown’s smoked turkey many times at the restaurant so know what to expect.
I made my Cranberry Relish on Monday and toasted cubes of cornbread for my Cornbread and Sausage Dressing which I’m pulling together now to let cure in the fridge overnight. And the smell of roasted sweet potatoes is drifting to my desk from the kitchen and will soon be mashed together with butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup for Sweet Potato Casserole (and yes, it will be topped with fat marshmallows which will take on a nice charred exterior).
This morning I ran up to Greenpoint to pick up my pre-ordered pies (pie is probably one of my favorite elements of Thanksgiving) from Radio Bakery (for those who might be curious, I have their return favorite, Caramel Apple Crumb, and a Malted Pecan Pie, which will be hard to resist cutting into before tomorrow). It was fun to see pastry chef Kelly Mencin, who came around the counter to give me a big hug, and some of the gang from Rolo’s who were helping out. I even made it out with a Brown Butter Corn Cake and a Bolus Dutch Sticky Bun to snack on on the bus ride back to Brooklyn Heights.
The Busiest Bar Night in America
The night before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest bar nights of the year. Imagine people three deep trying to catch the bartender's attention for a beer or something stronger. The people behind the bar are shaking, stirring, pouring. And finally, it's time—last call. The lights come up. The music goes down, and people head out the door. It's a time of ritual for bar staff, one that patrons rarely get to see. That ritual intrigued author Brad Thomas Parsons. So for his latest book, he traveled around the country to more than 80 bars, asking bartenders for their take on last call.
—Ari Shapiro, Host of All Things Considered
Just before Thanksgiving in 2019, I took the Acela down to Washington, D.C. to meet with Ari Shapiro and his producer at Service Bar, where we spent the morning talking about my new book, Last Call, along with Service Bar co-owner Chad Spangler, who made us drinks and talked about the rituals and traditions of closing time. It was my third time (second in person) being interviewed by Shapiro, who is smart and charming and quite stylish, and despite being a tiny bit nervous I felt at ease as soon as he bounced into the bar full of energy. (I think he may enjoy interviewing me in person as it usually involves the opportunity for some day drinking.)
Our interview aired the next week timed to the busiest night for bars across America—Thanksgiving Eve. I’m not sure if they’ll be replaying the episode like that did last year on Thanksgiving Eve, but if you have the time, I hope you’ll give it a listen.
I was initially thrown off when Grand Army held their third-annual “Thanksgiving Eve Ripper” with Wild Turkey on the Monday of Thanksgiving week. But I was, per custom, the first one there and commandeered my usual corner seat at the bar.
I always love seeing Tyrez from Okomoto Studio who delivers and sets up the three-foot-tall ice sculpture. It’s embedded with an LED light and Tyrez leaves the remote control in my custody so I can change up the colors throughout the night. Beyond its stately beauty, the ice turkey also serves as a luge. Eager guests climb up a step ladder to take a chilled Rye-Nar (equal parts Wild Turkey 101 Rye and Cynar) from the turkey’s hindquarters. There was a great industry turnout and I ran into many old friends and met some new ones. And I always love when people bring their visiting mothers with them to partake in all the fun (every bartender mom I’ve ever met has been super cool).
This year they also had an arts and crafts station featuring a bowl filled with tiny googly eyes to make your own hand turkey to hang up on the wall. It’s been a lot of fun to have this annual event serve as part of a new Thanksgiving tradition.
Former Grand Army bartender Dave Jones (now the bar manager at Cote and Undercote) was at the Thanksgiving Eve Ripper and I was grateful to catch up with him (and congratulate him for running his very first New York Marathon!). I always feel a kinship with him as he served my very last cocktail-served-in-a-bar to me (a Whiskey Sour) on that Friday the 13th of March, 2020, the last Friday of service before the pandemic shut down bars across America.
I chronicled that final evening in one of my finest (or at least personal favorites) stories in “The Night the Neon Went Dark” for PUNCH, who recently included it among their favorites of the past 10 years. We’ve maintained a spiritual-literary bond with Dave since then and he kindly mentioned how much it meant for him to be a part of that story. That had me craving a proper shaken-egg-white-on-the-rocks Rick Dalton Whiskey Sour and when I asked Patty if I could order one during the busy shift she said, “of course!” and nodded her approval. I turned to talk to the woman next to me for a moment and didn’t realize that Dave himself had hopped behind the bar to personally shake up my Whiskey Sour and suddenly I was the one who was incredibly moved.
The event also served as the eve of the final shift of Grand Army Beverage Director Ally Marrone, though she had a rocking actual party at the bar last night, complete with in-house karaoke and shenanigans (I was sorry I had to miss it!). Thank you for your service, Ally, and for leading the charge on so many creative menus, pop-ups, programming, and countless visit to my favorite corner seat.
As for tonight, Thanksgiving Eve, I should really stay in to continue prep for tomorrow’s meal and work on my book deadline and work on the other LAST CALL dispatches dropping this week (get ready!) but I have an early resy for a bar seat at Red Hook Tavern, who are hosting a “Your Hometown Bar” pop-up tonight (it’s fully booked but they are saving some seats for walk-ins) that promises their take on dive bar staples like Rum ‘n’ Coke and Whiskey Ginger along with a special menu including Buffalo Wings, Loaded Potato Skins, and Crab Dip. I look forward to running into some familiar faces but already promised myself that I won’t stay out too late as I have on past Thanksgiving Eves.
If you’re out and about this evening, try to have a little extra patience and be sure to tip well. And if you’re stopping by your neighborhood bottle shop to pick up a couple extra bottles of wine, be sure to be nice to the proprietor. And I know most LAST CALL readers likely have a bottle or two of amaro already on hand to break out for when you’re lingering at the table contemplating that second slice of sweet potato pie. But it’s also a perfect time to pick up a bottle of amaro to bring with you as a host/hostess gift.
Take care. Be safe. Go Seahawks! Happy Thanksgiving!
How About a Drink?
But wait, what about the cocktails? Don’t worry, I have a few suggestions for your Thanksgiving consideration, from some bittersweet highballs (including one that can be scaled up for a serve-yourself-punch to an an elegant aperitivo that takes inspiration from a dirty Martini to a classic Whiskey Sour.
Let me know in the comments what you’re drinking this Thanksgiving, and if you make any of these drinks feel free to share a photo or tag me on Instagram.
Onda Highball
Jason LaValla | Detroit, Michigan
Enjoying Casamara Club on its own—whether straight from a chilled bottle or over ice with a citrus twist—is the prefect way to experience this amaro soda, but when you’re feeling a bit more spiritous, utilizing it as a mixer will also deliver great results. In this case, Casamara Club co-founder Jason LaValla shares a Sicilian-inspired highball made with Casamara Club Onda and Sicily’s iconic Amaro Averna. The result is an earthy, though refreshing, highball with the brightness of lemon balanced with warm Mediterranean herbs and a bit of seaside salinity.
Makes 1 Drink
2 ounces Averna
1/2 ounce lemon juice
4-6 ounces Cassamara Club Onda Amaro Club Soda
Garnish: lemon twist
Fill a highball glass with ice and add the lemon juice and Averna. Give it a quick stir to combine. Top with Casamara Club Onda, pouring slowly down your mixing spoon to retain carbonation. Stir once, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Cranberry Beret
Brad Thomas Parsons | Brooklyn, New York (2016)
This Thanksgiving Day highball is reboot of a cocktail with a not-so-sexy name, Cranberry-Spice Cocktail, that I created for Food and Wine in 2011. Cranberries, oranges, and apples are still at the heart of the drink, but I amped up the proof a bit with Laird’s apple brandy and played off the bittersweet orange notes of the Amaro CioCiaro and brightness brought on by the Aperol. It’s a great before-dinner drink to kick off a Thanksgiving gathering, a time when it’s good to keep people busy with a drink in their hand. You can also batch it up as a punch and have your guests serve themselves.
Makes 1 drink
1 orange wedge
12 fresh cranberries
1-1/2 ounces Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy
1/2 ounce Amaro Cio Ciaro
1/2 ounce Aperol
2 dashes cranberry bitters
Hard apple cider
Garnish: orange zest and 3 fresh cranberries, skewered
Combine the orange wedge and cranberries in a cocktail shaker and muddle until the fruit is just broken up. Add the apple brandy, Amaro CioCiaro, Aperol, and bitters and fill with ice. Shake until chilled and double-strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top off with the hard apple cider. Garnish with the orange zest and skewered cranberries.
Smithstreeter
Brad Thomas Parsons | Brooklyn, New York (2016)
This drink was inspired by Chris DeCrosta, a longtime regular at the former Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. He lived a few blocks from the bar and I always say him at the bar sitting on his favorite stool (B1). Before I actually met him, I only knew him by his Instagram handle, @smithstreeter. He’s inked up and obsessed with the brand Supreme and casts a cool, laid-back vibe, typically decked out in a T-shirt and ball cap. For the longest time, I thought he might be a fourth Beastie Boy, but it turns out he’s a successful retail real estate specialist. I always love running into him and wanted to create a drink in tribute to our friendship—something that I could envision him drinking from his favorite stool. Stay bitter, Chris!
Makes 1 drink
1 ounce rye whiskey
3/4 ounce Amaro Lucano
1/2 ounce cold-brew coffee
1/4 ounce Demerara syrup (2:1 Demerara sugar:water)
2 dashes orange bitters
Tonic water
Garnish: lemons zest
Combine the rye, Amaro Lucano, cold-brew coffee, Demerara syrup, and orange bitters in a highball glass over ice. Give it a few stirs to incoporate the ingreidents. Top off with tonic water. Garnish with the lemon zest.
Note: I originally made this drink with crushed ice (as seen in the photo). If you’d like to use crushed ice, just add a couple ice cubes to a shaking tin and do a quick whip shake to avoid over-diluting before pouring over crushed ice, adding more ice if needed to top it off.
Safe Passage
Kenaniah Bystrom, Essex | Seattle, Washington (2013)
When Brandon Pettit opened the pizzeria Delancey in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, he was always experimenting with his own small-batch shrubs, bitters, ginger beer, and liqueurs. Years later, when the vintage umbrella shop next door closed, he opened a 12-seat craft cocktail bar called Essex. Spiked with Castelvetrano olive brine, the Safe Passage was created by Delancey’s then bar manager Kenaniah Bystrom as a tribute to the now closed and sadly missed Brooklyn restaurant Franny’s. Franny’s had a popular Sweet Olive cocktail and Bystrom created the Safe Passage as a tribute at a party hosted at Essex in honor of the Franny’s cookbook release (now out of print, the cookbook has become a bit of a collector’s item). The resulting drink is the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and bitter.
Serving: 1
1 ounce Amaro Nardini
1/4 ounce Aperol
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce olive brine from Castelvetrano olives
2-1/2 ounces Prosecco or other sparkling wine
Garnish: 2 Castelvetrano olives, skewered
Combine the Nardini, Aperol, lemon juice, and olive brine in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled coupe. Top with Prosecco and garnish with the Castelvetrano olives.
Rick Dalton Whiskey Sour
Dave Nurmi, The Long Island Bar | Brooklyn, New York
With all this talk about Whiskey Sours, you know I had to include my favorite recipe and with the likelihood of a carton of eggs behind handy, go ahead and shake one up (though I might save this as an after-dinner drink rather than while prepping the meal).
Dave Nurmi at The Long Island Bar tends to be the guy shaking up my order most of the time and I’ve taken to his particular spec. To ensure a frothy head, Nurmi advises adding one large 2”x2” ice cube along with a few 1.25”x1.25” cubes to the cocktail tin after the dry shake for better aeration.
Makes 1 drink
2 ounces 100-proof rye whiskey, preferably Wild Turkey Rye 101
1 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce egg white
1 hearty dash Angostura Bitters
Garnish: orange twist and cocktail cherry
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin and dry shake without ice for at least 20 seconds. Add one large ice cube and several regular-sized cubes and shake until chilled. Strain into a double-old fashioned glass and gently add ice cubes to fill the glass while maintaining the top layer of foam. Express an orange twist over the surface of the glass and garnish with the orange twist and a cocktail cherry.
Try not to drink more than eight in one sitting.
Our thanks to Casamara Club for underwriting today’s Thanksgiving Eve Holiday Special dispatch.
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