For Every Holiday Party, the Right Drink

Between now and New Year’s Day, even occasional drinkers will find numerous occasions to lift a glass. Some of these drinks will be out of your control. But there will likely be gatherings where you are the one doing the pouring. The working theory here is that, for every possible event, there is an ideal beverage: something that will match the food, match the company, match the feeling in the air. What follows is an exercise in situational drinking. Some of the beverages suggested are timeless, some are clever new inventions by the nation’s most forward-thinking bartenders. All are designed to impress and to comfort. — STEVEN STERN