Toast of the Town


November 20, 2025

Four drinks to toast the holiday season

Written by Jen Laskey

Stroll weekend lights up Nantucket during its darkest days, kicking off the year’s final season of gathering, feasting, toasting and tippling before giving way to winter’s quieter pleasures. It’s a splendor of festivities where conviviality and glasses of cheer help keep spirits high. For this festive season, a veteran beverage shop owner recommends a rich California cab fit for a holiday meal—and a gift-worthy Japanese whisky—a wine director for three downtown restaurants shares her pick for a perfect Italian pizza-pairing wine, and the general manager of a restaurant and fish market reveals his recipe for a hot, spiced winter warm-up.



DTREDIBERRI, DOGLIANI DOLCETTO, 2024

($108/bottle at Pizzeria Gemelle)

Recommended by Julia Korkosz, wine director, Pizzeria Gemelle, Ventuno and Via Mare

Julia Korkosz, who runs the wine program at Pizzeria Gemelle, Ventuno and Via Mare, loves how Stroll transforms the island into something magical with “the twinkling lights, the salty, cool winter air and the feeling of community that warms you even in the cold.” Trediberri’s Dogliani Dolcetto is a wine that captures the Stroll spirit, she said. “It brims with vibrant red fruit and Christmas spice.” Trediberri represents the fresh energy that a new generation of winemakers is bringing to the historical Italian winemaking region of Piedmont. The wine is made with 100% Dolcetto that’s grown organically in the Dogliani area of Piedmont’s Langhe hills. The grape’s name translates to “little sweet one” in English. “But this wine is anything but sweet,” said Korkosz. It’s dry yet concentrated, and its light tannins and fruitiness make it a particularly good wine to sip with the Calabrese, a pizza topped with marinara, spicy ’nduja (sausage and chile paste), red onions and Calabrian chiles at Pizzeria Gemelle, she noted, adding, “Good wine, good company and a cozy moment out of the cold are what makes this season special.”


HALL, NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2020

($74/bottle at Murray’s Beverage Store)

Recommended by Bruce Murray, co-owner, Murray's Beverage Store

Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic choice for your winter holiday table. Bruce Murray, who co-owns Murray’s Beverage Store on Main Street, is a fan of Hall’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. This sustainable producer crafts expressive dark-fruited cabs, layered with notes of chocolate, espresso and spice, and structured with ripe, plush tannins. This season, Murray is recommending Hall’s 2020 vintage. “It’s smooth, easy-drinking and well-made,” he said. “It’ll go great with just about anything.” It’s an excellent pairing for main dishes like prime rib, glazed ham or mushroom risotto. “You could even have it with winter seafood dinners or just some cheese and crackers.”



SUNTORY WHISKY, THE YAMAKAZI, 12-YEAR SINGLE MALT JAPANESE WHISKY

($199/bottle at Murray's Beverage Store)

Recommended by Bruce Murray, co-owner, Murray's Beverage Store

If you’re looking for a special gift for the whisky lover in your life, Murray and his staff will be eager to introduce you to The Yamazaki, a standout Japanese single malt. It’s silky and stone fruit-forward with a honeyed sweetness, just a hint of smoke and 12 years of age on it. If you’re hoping to round out your holiday shopping during Stroll, the team can also help you find other great bottles for every drink enthusiast on your list. “And hopefully, this year we’ll have electricity,” Murray said.


NANTUCKET NECKERCHIEF

($18 AT O STRAIGHT WHARF FISH)

Recommended by Collin Byrne, general manager, Straight Wharf Fish


“The best part of Nantucket Stroll is the vibrant, uplifting energy that fills the air when visitors flock from far and wide to experience the enchanting beauty of this little island that we call home,” said Collin Byrne, the general manager of Straight Wharf Fish, the recently opened harborside restaurant and fish market. To capture the spirit of Stroll in a glass, Byrne created the Nantucket Neckerchief, a hot mulled cider and bourbon cocktail for the restaurant’s guests to enjoy during the island's festive holiday weekend. Made with fresh apple cider, wintery baking spices, belly-warming bourbon and a bright pop of orange peel, the Neckerchief offers the cozy comfort of a hot drink on a chilly Nantucket day, while striking a perfect balance between tart, sweet and spice. “This cocktail is designed to warm your interior and boost your morale while you brave the hibernal activities of Christmas Stroll,” said Byrne. “It is best paired with a cold set of hands."


INGREDIENTS

•3 allspice berries

•1 teaspoon nutmeg

•1 cinnamon stick

•1 orange peel

•16 ounces apple cider

•3½ ounces bourbon


INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring the apple cider, allspice berries, nutmeg and cinnamon stick to a simmer over medium heat.

• Reduce heat and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.

• Strain out the solids and set the cider aside.

• Pour 1¾ ounces of bourbon into each heat-resistant glass.

• Top the bourbon with hot cider.

• Garnish with an orange peel. Enjoy!

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