Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2020

NOVEMBER 2020 63

TWO ROADS H2ROADS

CRANBERRY LIME

HARD SELTZER ($10/

SIX 12-OZ. CANS)

Over beer entirely? The

latest craft brewery trend

is upmarket hard seltzer.

Two Roads H2Roads’

bright, zingy Cranberry

Lime is 4.5% ABV and

has just 110 calories.

OSKAR BLUES ONE-Y
IPA ($9/SIX 12-OZ.
CANS)

IPAs, typically high in
alcohol, have recently
been reimagined in lower-
strength form. Colorado’s
Oskar Blues’ version hits
the “hazy” trend with
plenty of citrus fruit hop
pop and only 4% alcohol.

HOOF HEARTED ROSÉ
GOSÉ ($10/FOUR 12-OZ.
CANS)

For beer-averse family,
break out this Rosé Gosé
from Ohio. It’s a pink-
hued, pucker-inducing
sour with refreshing acid-
ity, more akin to a wild
natural wine in flavor, and
with just 4.2% alcohol.

SUFFERFEST HEAD

STA RT ($11/SIX 12-OZ.

CANS)

When cold weather calls

for a darker session beer,

California’s “purpose-

brewed” brand Sufferfest

ships its Head Start stout

at just 4.5% alcohol, with

the added kick of coffee

and coconut water.

NIGHT SHIFT NITE LITE

($15/TWELVE 12-OZ.

CANS)

Once the realm of big

brands, light lagers now

have craft brethren full of

biscuity undertones and

lemony zip. The 4.3%

ABV, 120-calorie Nite Lite

from Night Shift is a great

example.

HARPOON REC.

LEAGUE ($9/FOUR

16-OZ. CANS)

Rec. League is billed as a

“cool-down companion,”

fitting into the growing

functional beer trend.

Massachusetts’ Harpoon

hits it out of the park with

this full-flavored pale ale

that offers just 3.8% ABV.

THE BRUERY TERREUX

BRITE IDEAS:

HIBISCUS LIME ($11/

FIVE 12-OZ. CANS)

Seeking a jolt of citrus

without the bitter notes

of an IPA? Try a tart,

low-ABV sour like Brite

Ideas—it’s both insanely

crushable and enticingly

complex.

SEVEN CRAFT BEVERAGES (AND ONE

PUNCH!) THAT ARE EASY ON THE ALCOHOL

By Michael Pomranz

Sparkling

Cranberry-Ginger

Punch with

Toasted Spices

ACTIVE 5 MIN; TOTAL 1

HR 5 MIN; SERVES 16

This low-alcohol drink

leans on tart cranberry

juice and spicy ginger

ale for a big “punch” of

flavor, allowing the

booze to take a back

seat. Frozen cranberries

stand in for a traditional

punch ring, keeping this

fizzy drink nice and

cold. Have an extra bot-

tle of cold sparkling

wine on hand for guests

to top off their cups.

6 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean pod,

split lengthwise

4 cups cranberry

juice blend (such

as Ocean Spray)

1 /^2 cup (4 oz.) vanilla-

citrus brandy

liqueur (such as

Tuaca) (optional)

4 cups ginger ale or

ginger beer

1 (750-ml.) bottle

dry sparkling wine

1 (1-lb.) pkg. frozen

cranberries

3 (4-oz.)

clementines or

satsumas, thinly

sliced

1. Heat star anise, cin-
   namon sticks, and
   vanilla bean in a small
   skillet over medium-low,
   tossing occasionally,
   until toasted and fra-
   grant, about 2 minutes.
   Transfer mixture to a
   punch bowl. Add cran-
   berry juice and liqueur,
   if using, to punch bowl.
   Refrigerate 1 hour.


2. Just before serving,
   add ginger ale, wine,
   cranberries, and sliced
   citrus to punch bowl.
   Serve over ice, if
   desired. —JOSH MILLER
   NOTE Use a spicy ginger
   ale, such as Blenheim,
   for more flavor.

THANKSGIVING DINNER is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep

that advice in mind with your drinking, and you’ll be
on a steady path for the whole holiday weekend. That
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your brother’s limited-

release 8.5% ABV New England IPA that he smuggled
across six state borders just for you, of course. But check
out the lower-alcohol, low-calorie craft beers and selt-

zers here—as well as F&W Food Editor Josh Miller’s
sparkling cranberry-ginger punch, at right—for a chance
to focus your overindulgence on the meal itself.