FOOD: Kickingbird Wine Merchants

Eat Drink and Be Merry

The Holiday season is upon us so
it’s time to celebrate. Whether gathering for family dinners, dirty Santa or
ugly Christmas sweater parties, ’tis the season for bringing a little holiday
spirit along (pun intended). Instead of grabbing your standard go-to items, why
not pick up something new? Certain specialty spirits and beers will only be
offered during December, so now is your chance!

With holiday celebrations in full
swing, there is no better time to find a friendly neighborhood store like
Kickingbird Wine Merchants to help with holiday planning. After visiting with
Owner Fernando Acuna and his brother, Manager Mauricio Acuna, we listed some
favorites this holiday season.

Fernando opened his first liquor
store about 10 years ago in a small 900-sq-foot space. He has worked as a
bartender, restaurant manager and now food service director, giving him some
insight into holiday imbibing. Last February he moved to this new location to
“focus on taking care of each customer by delivering outstanding service.”

Dinner

Rieslings, in general, are always a good pick for a large group.
They are crisp semi-sweet to sweet sparkling white wines with enough complexity
to hold up against a variety of dishes from fruitcake to green bean casserole.
If you are cooking, you can even use a Riesling for basting the ham.

Gifts

American Harvest is an organic, gluten-free vodka and makes a great
base for infused vodkas. You can make festive combinations such as
orange-cranberry, vanilla-cardamom or red-green chilies. Only a few days are
needed to merge the flavors.

Glenlevit is a single-malt Scotch whiskey, that can be found in 12-
to 18-year reserves and beyond. Kickingbird also offers a gift package for this
and other popular holiday drinks. Even the 12-year Glenlevit is still
well-balanced and sure to give a bit of holiday warmth to anyone who drinks it.

Christmas Party

Mustang Winter Lager is only available from December through
February and is an impressive choice if you are looking to share something new
with your friends. Brewed here in Oklahoma City, the 2012 batch has a blend of
barley and two kinds of hops with an undertone of smokiness.

JK’s Solstice Hard Cider, spiced alcoholic apple juice, is made
around the world. This tasty organic cider has hints of vanilla, maple and
cinnamon and seems as if it has been a party beverage for several centuries.

New Year’s Eve

Mercat Brut is an attractive choice for its strong notes of apple
and pear with a trace of cream and hazelnut.

Everywhere

Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur seems like the perfect
take-along beverage to any holiday event this month. It can be served in a
glass over ice, added to coffee or mixed with spiced rum for an alcoholic
version of a pumpkin spice latte.

Now that you have some ideas for
filling your cup, you can drop by, order over the phone, or place your order
online. F. Acuna assured me that they “will go that extra mile to ensure the
best quality products at the best cost possible. We are happy to place
specialty orders and discounts are given on per-case orders to accommodate
party or event needs.”

Kickingbird Wine Merchants
is located at 1325 N. Bryant in Edmond. For orders or questions, call 405-285-4932
or visit kickingbirdwinemerchants.com