With temperatures dipping across the country, we’ve rounded up the season’s top five celebrations that pair the magic of the holidays with the warm merriment of libation-infused traditions. If you are looking for some last-minute destinations for boozy holiday fun, check out the suggestions below:
Lexington, Kentucky
From now through New Year’s Eve, travelers heading to Lexington, Kentucky—also known as the “Birthplace of Bourbon”—can attend the annual holiday feast at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery. Led by James Beard-nominated chef-in-residence Ouita Michel and chef de cuisine Nat Henton, patrons can visit for lunch or dinner and begin each experience with a Woodford Reserve Flavor Wheel tasting that takes palates through 200 different flavors before embarking on a smorgasbord of Southern culinary comforts. For more information or to book your holiday feast and tour, visit Woodford Reserve Distillery online.Finger Lakes
On select dates throughout the holiday season, travelers to the Finger Lakes region of central New York are encouraged to don their ugly Christmas sweaters and explore the Cayuga, Ontario and Seneca Lake Wine Trails. Each of the 45+ wineries are decked out in seasonal decorations and offer holiday wines and festive foods for sampling. Cayuga and Seneca Lake Trail travelers can expect to receive a holiday-themed recipe book and collect ornaments to decorate their own handmade grapevine wreaths. New Orleans
New Orleans is the perfect city to spend the holidays with traditions that celebrate the influence of the French. Stop by Le Salon at Windsor Court New Orleans for the annual three-course Holiday Tea service of rare seasonal teas and cozy holiday cocktails like the Windsor Poinsettia, Cranberry Mint Spiked Tea and Cajun Milk Punch. Guests ring in the occasion while enjoying holiday-themed scones and sweet desserts among the 19½-foot Christmas tree and a gingerbread replica of the Windsor Castle (through Dec 31).Puerto Rico
The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa serves Coquito, a customary Puerto Rican libation, during the weeklong Parranda Night themed buffet. Guests can get a taste of the spiced treat that is made up of rum, coconut milk, sweet condensed milk, egg yolks, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves at the dedicated Coquito station.New York City
Every year on New Year’s Day, New York’s only Japanese-owned hotel, The Kitano, serves Omiki, sake offered to the gods, to all guests and visitors in the lobby. People drink Omiki to gain favor and blessing of the Gods and to remove the negative energy from the previous year and ensure a long life.- Photos, top to bottom: KY Bourbon Trail, Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council, Le Salon at Windsor Court New Orleans, The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, The Kitano
