For the rest of your Thanksgiving drinking

Gilt Wine

Saumur Brut Rosé 2009 DUO (Under $20 per Bottle)

Starting at $33.99 ~~$39.95~~ Two 750 mL bottles - Twelve 750 mL bottles

Alfred Gratien

Brut Classique Champagne NV (93 points)

$44.99 ~~$64.95~~ One 750 mL bottle

Dunham Cellars

Riesling 2009

Starting at $19.50 One 750 mL bottle - Twelve 750 mL bottles

Dunham Cellars

Syrah 2008

Starting at $35.00 One 750 mL bottle - Twelve 750 mL bottles

Kyle MacLachlan Wines

Baby Bear Syrah 2008

Starting at $48.00 One 750 mL bottle - Twelve 750 mL bottles

Walla Walla Thanksgiving

Citrus-Spice Celebration Punch Recipe

Sweet, tart, aromatic, and bubbly, this will keep revelers occupied while your bird roasts

by Jennifer Pelka November 17, 2011

You may know actor Kyle MacLachlan from his roles as the squarely Upper East Side husband to Sex & the City’s Charlotte, Portlandia’s wacky mayor or – our favorite – the creepily cheery Agent Cooper of David Lynch’s 90s cult hit Twin Peaks.

MacLachlan is also a wine lover – and a wine producer. In Walla Walla, Washington, he works with Dunham Cellars to craft two wines, Pursued by Bear and Baby Bear. This fall, we joined MacLachlan in Washington for a potluck Thanksgiving feast, where his favorite local farmers, chefs and a mixologist each brought their favorite family recipes. This week, we’d love to introduce you to some of these characters, and to share their recipes. To read the full story, download our Fall Entertaining Catalog. – Ed.

Local bar owner Jim German brought a celebration punch—a cheery bowl of gin, citrus and hibiscus with a generous Cava floater. “At his bar, Jim crafts these incredible elixirs. He’s like a wizard,” says Kyle. A big bowl of these colorful cocktails keeps revelers occupied and giddy as the bird roasts.

Citrus-Spice Celebration Punch
Serves 10-12

2 tablespoons cloves
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
6 whole star anise pods
2 bottles of dry Cava or sparkling wine, very cold
1 cup gin
1 cup hibiscus syrup*
4 oranges
2 lemons
1 cup pomegranate seeds

Equipment
1 six-inch square piece of cheesecloth and kitchen twine
Large punch bowl

Place cloves, peppercorns and star anise in the center of the cheesecloth. Gather the edges together and tie with a piece of kitchen twine.
Rinse oranges and lemons, quarter or cut into sixths, and slice into thin wedges.
Combine gin, hibiscus syrup, orange, lemon and spices. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
To serve, discard spices. Toss the marinated fruit with pomegranate seeds in a big festive punch bowl, and top with sparkling wine.

* To make hisbiscus syrup, rehydrate 3-5 dried hibiscus flowers by pouring over 1¼ cups of boiling water and cover. When the flowers have become tender and given up their color and flavor, about 10 minutes, strain. Reheat infused water, and stir in 1 cup sugar until dissolved. Reserve flowers as a garnish for the punch, or for another purpose, steeping in the leftover syrup.

Jennifer Pelka

Jennifer Pelka is the Managing Editor of Gilt Taste. She co-founded Gastronomista, where she writes under the name Daphne Duquesne. She was the Competition Director of the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation from 2008-2009, and worked for several years as Research Assistant to the great Chef Daniel Boulud. Before becoming a professional foodie, she studied Philosophy of Science at Stanford and the LSE.

Tejal Rao

Tejal Rao is a writer, photographer, cook and the Restaurant Editor at Gilt Taste. She was born in London and raised there, Kuwait, Khartoum, Paris and Atlanta. After studying literature, she worked as a line cook, a baker, a barista and a French translator. She lives in Brooklyn and tweets at @tejalrao.