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.