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Low (And No) ABV Cocktails for the Holidays

Stock your bar with a few low-ABV staples to sip holiday cocktails all season long… without the hangover.

The holidays are a treacherous time. Despite the shiny allure of tinsel and trimmed trees, dark dangers lurk down every dark hall.

During this time of year, home accidents go up, car accidents go up, and emergency room visits go up. The culprit? Alcohol, of which Americans double their dosage during the holidays.

One answer to the problem would be to stop drinking. Or, you could switch gears to low-alcohol holiday cocktails, which can deliver complex flavors without inspiring the complex behavior often associated with stronger stuff.

First, some basics:

WHAT IS A LOW-ABV DRINK?

“ABV” stands for alcohol by volume, a standard measurement used to identify how much alcohol is in a spirit. You may have also heard the word “proof” used in this manner, but that’s an antiquated term from the days when gunpowder was used to “prove” how much ethanol, aka ethyl alcohol, was present in a liquid.

Typically, hard spirits like vodka fall in the 35 to 50 percent ABV range, while wines are typically in the 10 to 15 percent range, and beers can fall anywhere between 3 and 13 percent.

Here in the test kitchen, we define a low-ABV cocktail as one containing roughly 10 percent or less alcohol by volume.

WHICH SPIRITS ARE LOW ABV?

To mix low-ABV libations, you’ll want to stock your bar with these liquids that you should really get to know better: sherry, vermouth, port, and a liqueur or two.

Sherry 

Once relegated to the back of the pantry or your grandma’s liquor cabinet, this historic fortified Spanish wine is making its way back onto the craft cocktail scene thanks to its diversity of styles.

The beauty of sherry is that it can be dry, sweet, or fall anywhere in between. Dry sherries bring salinity, umami, and nuttiness to tipples, while sweet sherries add richness and acidity to twists on classic libations — try adding a half-ounce or so to upgrade an Old Fashioned or use it instead of vermouth in a Manhattan. You can also drink it straight up; dry sherries pair well with many savory dishes and sweeter sherries make excellent after-dinner quaffs.

In short: The spirit helps create food-friendly cocktails.

Vermouth

Probably best known as the magic ingredient in martinis, vermouth is a fortified wine flavored with various botanicals. There are two main varieties: red (sweet) which usually hails from Italy, and white (dry), which generally comes from France.

Like sherry, vermouth works wonders in classic cocktails. Sweet vermouth ties together gin, Campari, and watermelon juice in our Watermelon Negroni — delicious, but not low ABV.

To let a good vermouth really shine, mix up the ratio of a traditional tipple. Try combining three parts vermouth with one part gin for a twist on a gin martini … just be sure to use really good vermouth. Or, you could sip a quality vermouth all on its own with a twist of citrus.

Port

You guessed it … port is also a fortified wine, this time from the shores of the Portuguese town of Porto. Generally speaking, there are three major categories: vintage (pricey and all made from the same year), tawny (blended from older vintages and aged in wood), and ruby (young mixtures of different vintages and grapes; named for its deep ruby color).

While all are undoubtably delicious, we tend to stick to ruby port for cocktail making since it’s less expensive, pairs nicely with strong cheeses, chocolate, and berry-based desserts, and works perfectly in cold-weather cocktails like Clarified Milk Punch.

But to make this comforting winter tipple, you’ll need one more low-ABV ingredient …

Allspice Dram

Basically allspice-infused rum (aka, a high-ABV spirit), allspice dram earns a spot on our low-ABV list because it takes very little to imbue a lot of flavor into our holiday cocktails. How does it taste? Like winter baked goods by a warm fire … with a kick.

The sip enjoyed a moment during the tiki craze of the mid-20th century, but it’s become increasingly hard to find.

Luckily, it’s extremely easy to make as long as you can get your hands on a bottle of rum over 50 percent ABV and you don’t mind waiting around for a bit. You know what we say about patience.

Cranberry Apple Shrub

As American as, well, apple pie, shrubs are vinegar-fruit-based beverages that were once popular for their cooling effects in the days before ice was easy to come by. They also gave temperance-era folks something snazzy to drink before soda pop came around. Plus, it’s easy to make at home.

The final product is bracing, fruity, and rendered holiday-worthy by the inclusion of rosemary and sage. Seltzer transforms it into the only sip you need to get you through the New Year, but three fluid ounces of Prosecco or other sparkling wine per one fluid ounce of shrub gets you right into that low-ABV sweet spot.

If you’re feeling inspired to experiment with low (and no) ABV sips, here are a few more ways to whet your whistle:

Hot Toddy
Make this holiday classic a little less boozy by swapping out the Scotch for a sweet port, sherry, or vermouth. If you’d like to keep it full strength, a splash of any of these low-ABV spirits will add a boost of festive flavor.

Cucumber Lemonade Gin Punch
Perfect for summer sipping or a warm-weather holiday gathering, the cucumber lemonade part of this cocktail can easily be served without alcohol. Those who’d like to imbibe on the low-ABV side can add a splash of dry sherry or vermouth for a slight kick.  

Fiery Ginger Ale Concentrate
This spicy DIY ginger ale concentrate is always good to have on hand, whether for homemade soda or as a sparkling addition to seasonal tipples.  

How to Upgrade Your Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole: Beloved Thanksgiving tradition or sad, bland waste of space on your overflowing plate?

We in the test kitchen think this traditional and often divisive dish deserves its due, so after quite a few trials, we’ve finally come up with possibly the best homemade green bean casserole you’re likely to come across this November.

From the sauce to the skillet, here’s how we’re upgrading our green bean casserole game this holiday season.

THE BEANS

Fresh ingredients make all the difference in our Green Bean Casserole 2.0. We swap the traditional canned beans for fresh specimens, cut small like the classic and blanched until tender for pleasant texture and color.

THE CREAM OF MUSHROOM

Here, we opt for a homemade mushroom sauce rather than canned cream of mushroom soup, which always seems to be either too salty or disappointingly bland and gloppy. Browning fresh mushrooms adds umami and texture, and making a smooth, creamy sauce from stock, half and half, butter, and flour tastes so much better than the can. A splash of sherry vinegar adds a bright touch.

To make it even more indulgent, we made sure to simmer up double the amount of sauce used in a typical recipe. You’re welcome.

THE FRIED ONIONS

Again, fresh ingredients are key. While we certainly aren’t going to knock canned fried onions, freshly fried specimens are definitely more flavorful. A light sprinkling of rice flour ensures a thin, crisp crust reminiscent of the canned stuff, but so much better.

THE SERVING VESSEL

Instead of removing the finished product to a casserole dish and reducing it to a mushy mess, we prefer to cook and serve right in a large cast iron skillet. It’s simple, classic, and makes cleanup a whole lot easier.

THE VERDICT

Is this more work than a traditional recipe? Sure is. It worth it? Sure is.

You can even lighten the Thanksgiving Day workload by making each of the components (beans, mushroom sauce, and fried onions) ahead of time, store them separately, then assemble and bake the final dish just before dinner.

Hungry yet? Try this new and improved Thanksgiving side dish for yourself:

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE 2.0

 

Thanksgiving Turkey Survival Guide

Alton Brown’s Thanksgiving Turkey Survival Guide: everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the bird.

It’s the month of Thanksgiving and all across the land, people are freaking out because they’re panicked about various aspects of their Thanksgiving meal, most notably, that darned turkey.

Here in the test kitchen, we’re here to put an end to that panic by arming you with confidence in the form of knowledge: What to look for when shopping, how to brine the bird, and recipes for the perfect roast turkey.

So, without further ado, dig into our Thanksgiving Turkey Survival Guide:

CHOOSING A TURKEY

When it comes to procuring the bird, you have three main choices, though you may not know it and your megamart may not tell you. In our view, these three categories are traditional, aka broad-breasted whites; specialty, a catchall category that includes marketing terms like “natural,” “free-range,” and “heirloom;” and heritage breeds.

At the end of the day, the best way to procure a top-quality bird is to chat with your poultry-person, aka your local butcher.

To make sense of all the chatter, we’ve compiled a handy (but by no means comprehensive) guide to turkey terminology:

Traditional

Broad-breasted whites, developed in the 1960s to satisfy the average American’s love of white meat, account for 99.99 percent of megamart turkeys. These birds are so heavy and large-breasted that they cannot fly or mate naturally. They grow to between 16 and 22 pounds in 12 to 14 weeks, after which point, they are processed. After processing, they weigh between 12 and 18 pounds. On average, they cost about $1.50 per pound, making them the most affordable Thanksgiving bird.

Specialty

Natural: This label does not refer to how the turkey was raised, but rather how it was processed. Basically, it means no artificial ingredients or color have been added to the bird, and that it has been minimally processed. Natural birds tend to be drier, which can be remedied with brining. Natural poultry can be given antibiotics.

Kosher: These birds are broad-breasted whites processed under rabbinical supervision. They are grain-fed, have access to the outdoors, are given no antibiotics, and are soaked in salt brine. Salting seasons the meat, improves texture, and retains moisture. However, purchasing a kosher bird means you cannot control its salt level. You will also definitely want to skip an at-home brine.

Organic: An organic label indicates that the turkey has been certified by the USDA to have been raised on 100 percent organic feed, have year-round access to the outdoors, and given zero antibiotics or growth hormones.

Self-Basting: These birds are injected with or marinated in a solution. Such a treatment increases the moisture content for a juicer bird, but it can mask the turkey’s flavor. Just as with kosher birds, you will not be able to control the salt level of your turkey, and you absolutely, 100 percent do not want to brine a self-basting bird.

Free-Range: These birds have access to the outdoors, but they don’t necessarily have room to roam. Free-range is commonly misunderstood to mean the same thing as “organic” or “naturally processed;” however, this label does not refer to the birds’ feed or handling.

No Hormones Added: This statement is sometimes added to labeling; however, it is meaningless since a USDA regulation prohibits growth hormones in U.S. poultry and eggs.

Heritage Breeds

These are turkeys bred from old-fashioned (aka heirloom) breeds and are more closely related to wild turkeys than conventional birds. The American Poultry Association’s (APA) Standards of Perfection recognizes eight heirloom turkey breeds: Black, Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, Slate, Bourbon Red, Beltsville Small White, and Royal Palm. You may see other breeds, like Jersey Buff and White Midget, show up at butcher shops; but these have yet to be recognized by the APA.

All heritage birds must meet the following criteria:

– Natural mating and growth

– Long, productive outdoor lifestyle

– A slow growth rate of 7 to 8 months, which is two times longer than commercial turkeys

Because of this slower growth rate, heritage birds have time to develop an extra layer of fat, which is said to add to their deeper flavor. And because they are allowed to run and fly, their meat is firmer, chewier, and darker without being gamey.

Since there is a limited supply of heritage birds each year, they are a lot more expensive than commercial varieties, usually clocking in at $7 to $10 per pound.

SHOPPING TIPS

First of all, make sure you know what size bird you’re looking for before heading to the megamart. Here’s a handy chart to help you figure it out:

Alton Brown's turkey defrost time reference chart.

If you’re doing your shopping far enough in advance, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing a frozen turkey; however, it is important to note that many frozen birds contain up to an 8 percent salt solution that acts both as a preservative and adds to the final weight. Ask your butcher for a deep-chilled or refrigerated turkey (a bird that’s been stored between 0 and 26°F), if possible.

Oh, and if you opt for a fresh bird (a turkey that has never been stored below 26°F), just make sure you have room in your fridge BEFORE you head to the store.

A few additional things to consider when shopping:

  1. Look for a bird with packaging that’s damage free, isn’t sticky, and is free of any “off” aroma.
  2. If you can see the turkey, look for plump breasts with moist pinkish-white skin, and no blemishes, bruises, or weird smells.
  3. Size:
    • A smaller bird (12 to 14 pounds) fits better in the fridge.
    • A larger (18-plus pound) bird increases the likelihood that the turkey will be overcooked. Basically, because giant birds are almost entirely breast meat, you end up with this huge amount of white meat on top of the turkey that insulates the dark meat. This means that it takes longer to cook the dark meat through and, thus, overcooks the breasts. If you insist on cooking a giant bird, you should definitely brine.
    • If you’re feeding a crowd, consider roasting two birds in the 12-pound range rather than one huge bird. Or, you could mix it up by throwing the second turkey on the grill or in the smoker.

STORAGE

  • Store fresh birds on ice or in the fridge for up to four days.
  • Frozen birds can be kept in the freezer for up to six months.

THAWING

We have two non-negotiables when it comes to thawing your Thanksgiving turkey:

  1. DO NOT defrost at room temperature.
  2. DO NOT cook partially frozen poultry.

If you do find yourself with a partially frozen bird the week of, we do have a small work around: You can, in fact, brine a still-frozen bird. Simply fill a large cooler with a brine made with ice water (more on that below), submerge the critter, cover, and stow away in a cool place, like a closet or garage. By the time the bird is finished with its two-day brine, it’s thawed and ready to roast.

To avoid disaster, plan ahead: Make space in your fridge and figure out how long it will take for your turkey to thaw:

Alton Brown's turkey thaw time reference chart.

BRINING

The Good Eats faithful know that we’re big fans of brining. Why, you ask?

 One of the best ways to ensure a moist bird is to brine, which basically means to treat with or steep in a strong solution of water, salt, and, sometimes, a sweetener like brown sugar or honey — while the sweetener may or may not permeate the meat in any substantial way, it does help with Maillard reactions on the surface of the bird…aka, nice, even browning.

The more important part of the equation is the salt solution. This mixture drains the moisture out of the poultry, creating a flavorful brine, which is then reabsorbed into the meat without adding additional water and diluting the flavor.

Why bother? Well, salt has two important effects on the meat:

  1. It dissolves the protein in the muscle, ensuring a more tender turkey.
  2. Salt and protein reduce moisture loss during cooking; in fact, brined meat can lose up to 75 percent less water than a non-brined bird.

Bonus: The salt enhances the turkey’s natural flavors.

If crispy skin is your end goal, try a dry brine. By rubbing the bird inside and out with salt and ground spices, and letting it sit on a wire rack-lined baking sheet — uncovered — in the fridge for a few days, you get an equally flavorful result without messing with the soak. The only downside: You have to find room in your fridge.

In short, taking the time to properly brine your bird is worth it in both flavor and texture of the final product. You know what we always say about patience…

RECIPES

Ready to put your newfound knowledge to the test? Here are a few tried and true turkey applications to get you started:

As for those Thanksgiving leftovers, you can’t go wrong with classic Turkey Salad.

And don’t skimp on the sides…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spice Rules: The Dos and Don’ts of Cooking with Spices

From mulled wine to spiced baked goods, the fall and winter months are full of opportunities to expand your spice portfolio. In the test kitchen, we love experimenting with more unusual ingredients in classic dishes, like adding peppery grains of paradise to apple pie, freshly ground star anise to homemade pumpkin spice mix, or Aleppo and za’atar to comforting roast chicken.

So, what exactly are spices? Generally, they are the seeds, pods, bark, dried roots, dried berries, and flower parts of various plants that, when utilized wisely, can introduce new and exciting flavors and aromas to foods.

While experimenting with flavor can be exciting, the procurement, placement, and preparation of said spices is crucial to culinary success.

Here are a few rules of thumb to help you get started:

Do:

  • Buy whole spices whenever possible.
  • If you have to buy ground, purchase small amounts from a reliable source. In the test kitchen, we typically procure ours from The Spice House.
  • Buy an inexpensive blade-style electric coffee grinder. I never use these for actually grinding coffee, but rather spices and spice-like things. This is called a xenotasker, or a tool that is really bad at its purported purpose, but really good at something else…in this case, grinding spices.
  • Try concocting your own spice blends.
  • Store all spices in airtight vessels (glass is best as it won’t absorb essential oils) and keep away from light and heat. Don’t display them in those countertop turntables or magnetic storage bins that stick on your fridge. Oh, and make sure you label your glass jars to keep everything straight.
  • Gently toast whole spices in a pan over low heat or in the oven just before use…or use another xenotasker, the popcorn popper! Let cool completely before grinding.
  • Build a pepper drill: Mount the center grind shaft of a pepper grinder to a battery-powered drill or screwdriver. It’s a very effective method for grinding large amounts of spices like juniper berries, cumin, coriander, and, yes, even peppercorns. Watch here for an example.

Don’t

  • Buy spice sets just because you like the packaging…or for any reason, actually.
  • Buy spices in grocery stores unless you absolutely have to.
  • Think that vanilla beans aren’t spices. They are…botanically speaking. Treat them well.
  • Buy spices in bulk unless you’ve got a darned good reason, like you own a restaurant, or you like to barbecue competitively.
  • Store spices where you can see them. Basically, just don’t buy a spinning countertop spice rack.
  • Keep ground spices for longer than six months.
  • Assume that spices are always safe to consume raw. They can carry food-borne illness, such as salmonella. Always buy from reliable sources and toast or cook them when you can.
  • Forget that the strength of spices, especially whole spices, can increase over time the longer they’re left in a dish. Fresh spices also have a much stronger flavor that what you might be used to…especially if you’ve only ever bought them at the grocery store.

Test out our Spice Rules with a few sweet and savory (and potable) applications:

Allspice Dram

A rum-based liqueur that tastes like winter baked goods by a warm fire…with a kick.

Congealed Cranberry Sauce

Candied ginger brings sweet heat to Thanksgiving-ready cranberry sauce.

Spiced Bread Pudding

Perfect for holiday entertaining, this comforting bread pudding gets a fall twist with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and crystallized ginger.

Turkey Tikka Masala

Seared turkey thighs and spices make up the basis of this international stew that just so happens to also summon the flavors of fall.

Cacio e Pepe

Freshly ground black pepper makes all the difference in this classic cheesy pasta dish.

Chocolate Syrup: Reloaded

Black cardamom adds depth and rich chocolate flavor to this revamped chocolate syrup recipe.

Why I’m Still Brining After All These Years

There are plenty of ways to prep a turkey, and even more wonderful ways to cook it.

There’s nothing wrong with simply roasting the darned thing, given that you take care with the cooking — there’s nothing is worse than dry turkey except maybe … well, I can’t think of anything right now.

My personal favorite method of turkey prep is to spatchcock the bird (cut out the backbone and flatten) the bird, quickly cure it by rubbing with kosher salt and spices, and refrigerate it for a day or two. The cure gives me flavor and the spatchcocking allows for fast cooking; ergo, reduced moisture loss.

But this year, like so many years, I’m not only wet brining, I’m brine-thawing.

Here’s the situation: Let’s say you wake up Monday or even Tuesday morning facing the reality of a frozen turkey, as in hard-as-Plymouth-rock. You need to have this critter on the table by noon Thursday. Even if you could somehow bend the rules of thermodynamics and thaw it in the fridge in your less-than-ideal time frame, who wants to clear out room in there for a 20-pound hunk of ice? Not I! And even if I did, there would be no time remaining to augment the flavor other than to inject the bird with some kind of “self-basting” solution — that is, assuming you haven’t purchased an augmented bird (i.e. Butterball), which I hope you haven’t.

The solution (see what I did there?) is to thaw the bird by unwrapping it and submerging in a brine contained in a large bucket, cooler, or other food-safe vessel, covered and tucked away in a closet or garage or … wherever. I slap a probe thermometer in the brine with an alarm set to go off if the temperature of the solution rises above 40°F.

That said, I typically go with a two-day soak and have never had an instance where that temperature has been reached. By the time the bird is thawed, the brine has done its job (two jobs, actually) and I’m ready to roast.

Is the flavor as good as the dry cure method? It’s not quite as intense but on scale of 1 to 10, I’d still give it 8.7. And when it comes to leftovers (can you say “sandwich”) I don’t think a brined bird can be beat.

Happy Thanksgiving.

-AB

All of My Pumpkin Recipes in One Place

Quality produce is key to fall’s favorite pumpkin recipes.

There are many different varieties of pumpkins, yet of the millions grown in the United States each year, most aren’t worth eating. These days, most pumpkins are grown not for their flavor, but rather their ability to stand up to a knife, saw, and candle.

If taste rather than shape is truly your goal, I strongly suggest you either grow or seek out a classic baking variety, three of which immediately leap to mind: Dickinson, Jarrahdale, or Sugar Pie Pumpkin.

To make the most of the fall season, here are all of my pumpkin recipes (sweet and savory) in one place.

Get the recipes

How to Build a Turkey Derrick

If you’ve never fried a Thanksgiving turkey, make this the year. It’s delicious and done in an hour (unless you’re cooking Turkzilla). Just make sure you assemble and use my handy and safe turkey derrick!

A few notes on safety:

Large-vessel frying is serious business. It matters a lot where you stage this operation — be sure you are at least 10 feet (yes, feet) away from any structure like your house, garden shed, wooden fence, deck, carport or garage.

Also essential: A level surface. Do not try this on a wooden deck, or a paved or concrete driveway — these will show oil splatters, plus, kids like to play in these spaces, and you don’t want anyone near your base of operations. A patch of grass or dirt that is level and free of toys and other obstacles is ideal.

Keep everyone at a safe distance, at least 10 feet away from your base of operations. This is no place for kids or any holiday drinking. Until your bird is done and delivered to the table, no alcohol allowed. Period.

Your base of operations should include a chair (because you are not going to leave this site until your turkey is done and the fire is out), a table containing your heat-resistant gloves, a timer, a stick-type lighter, a meat thermometer, a beverage (remember, nonalcoholic), and your trusty fire extinguisher.

WARNING: Failure to follow these instructions could result in fire or explosion, which could cause property damage, personal injury, or death — not to mention ruin a perfectly good turkey.

Keep reading

Black Friday and Christmas Prep: The Alton Browncast 22

The Thanksgiving trilogy comes to an end this week as recipe developer Patty Catalano and I talk Thanksgiving leftovers, Black Friday food (is there such a thing?), and preparing for Christmas. I share a perplexing family recipe and tell you how I take my coffee.

Listen here: 

 

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Thanksgiving, Everything BUT The Bird: The Alton Browncast 20

Sure, the bird is a big deal, but a piece of poultry does not a meal make — there have to be sides and desserts and hors d’oeuvre…oh my! So, in this show from 2013, we tackled everything but the bird.

Listen here:

 

Now, listen to the episode, “Thanksgiving, The Bird“.

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