Bargain beverages for bringing to holiday parties

Also, there's a delicious holiday baked good that you must try.

The holiday season brings with it plenty of parties. Showing up empty-handed tends to be a no-no, but that does not mean you must bring something that breaks the bank. Indeed, in my experience, party-goers are too busy gabbing and guzzling to savor fine drink.

There are tons of terrific drinks that come at an affordable price.

Spirits: Vodka is a crowd-pleaser and can be mixed with many of the non-alcoholic mixers found at parties. Rather than bring a familiar brand, show your thoughtfulness by bringing something other than Absolut, Stoli, or the like. Pick a local brand. If you are in Ohio, get a bottle of Buckeye Vodka ($18). If you are partying in New York, consider 1857 Spirits Potato Vodka ($30). Etc.

Wine: Fine wine can be had for $12 or less—but beware of anything under $9. Vinho Verdes like Raza ($10) are great bargains. If you want a red wine look no further than Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($9), which can be found in plenty of grocery stores. Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2021 ($9) is handsomely packaged and will work just fine.

Beer: Make your contribution stand out by, yes, bringing something local. ((Plenty others will bring mega brands like Corona and Miller.) If you live in Virginia, bring a six-pack of Port City Downright Pilsner ($10), which is a very good and crowd-friendly beer. Missourians who want to push the envelope of people’s palates should bring along Schlafly’s Black IPA or Doppelbock, which are rich but not overwhelming dark brews.

All that said, If you want to throw caution and dollars to the wind and impress your host, get Stag's Leap Karia Chardonnay 2022 ($35). Stag’s Leap is a famed label, and this white wine is terrific. If you go this route, do hand the bottle to your host and suggest they tuck it away and enjoy it at a later time.

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Odds and ends

• Baked goods lovers: Hurry up and get yourself a Brioche Holiday Star. Grocery stores across the country stock this delight crafted by the St. Pierre Bakery…. (Read more)

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• Crime-stoppers: Greek police raided a moonshining outfit and seized 2,000 liters (530 gallons) of alcohol…. (Read more)

• Late-shoppers: Our gift guide has plenty of suggestions for nifty things you can order online…. (Read more)