Diageo Serves Up a Healthy Portion of Thanksgiving Tips for the Responsible Host

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to toast good fortune and health – and many will do so with a cocktail or a glass of wine, beer or champagne. If you are hosting a Thanksgiving meal this year, it’s important to plan the drinks as well as the dinner. Providing a variety of beverage options for guests to celebrate responsibly will help everyone to enjoy the evening even more – and these simple tips can help:

• Designate a bartender: If you have dinner guests who are under the legal drinking age of 21, control the alcohol supply by having a designated server rather than placing it in an easily accessible location.
• Know your drink strength: If you are serving homemade cocktails or a seasonal punch, make sure you are not overserving. Standard drink sizes are 1.5 ounce of spirits at 40 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), 12 ounces of beer at 5 percent ABV, and 5 ounces of wine at 12 percent ABV. You can view the standard serving sizes illustrated here.
• Resist the urge to top up: Allow guests to finish their drinks rather than continuously topping them up. What may seem like attentive hosting actually makes it hard for guests to keep track of their alcohol intake and stay within their comfortable limit. Using unit measures or pre-mixed drinks also helps guests track their consumption.
• Be mindful of calories: You want your turkey, stuffing and pies to fill your guests, not your drinks. Offer lighter beverages, and if you are serving homemade cocktails, calculate the calories beforehand.
• Serve food, then drinks: If you are serving drinks before dinner, make sure to offer your guests small snacks or hors d'oeuvres. Sustenance before drinking slows down the absorption of alcohol into the body.
• Offer soft alternatives:  Some of your adult guests may not want an alcoholic beverage. Make sure to provide plenty of soft drinks and water as no-alcohol alternatives and as spacers between glasses of wine, beer or cocktails. Spacer drinks like water or soft drinks help guests stay hydrated and give their bodies a chance to process the alcohol.
• Get your guests home safe: Keep in mind that this is a busy holiday on the roads. Arrange transportation for your guests who have been drinking to ensure they get home safely. This could include coordinating a ride home for them with a designated driver, prearranging a taxi service, or encouraging use of reliable public transportation.
• Be a vocal host: If you think someone has had too much to drink, offer them a soft drink or some water and make sure they do not drive.

With these tips, you can be sure that your Thanksgiving dinner is one your guests will be grateful for, and that everyone will be ready to participate in the next day’s Turkey Trot. For more information about responsible drinking and hosting, or to calculate your cocktails’ calories, visit www.DrinkIQ.com.