Who Are YOU Going Home With On New Year’s Eve?

Campaigns like this one by Anheuser- Busch may offend some, but put some humor in a sometimes touchy subject

As we head into the homestretch of the holiday season, many of us have our eye on finally letting loose on New Year’s Eve, and wrapping it all up so we can make a fresh start in the new year. Two obvious components of a good New Year’s Eve celebration are some good bubbly and a good toast, and we’ve already pointed out that we have plenty of both high-end and lower-priced bubbly, and even suggested some classic toasts. But equally important – on a holiday which for many is almost entirely about drinking – is drinking responsibly. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission has provided a handy guide this year called Responsible Party Host Tips (269KB, PDF) that offers plenty of suggestions for responsible party planning. But the basic guidelines for responsible hosting are simple: Stay clear-headed yourself, don’t over-serve, have plenty of food and and non-alcohol beverages on hand, plan some designated drivers, and stop serving an hour before the party is ending. One clever idea is to check keys when you check coats. That way, you get to see each guest face-to-face before they leave, so you can help them make a responsible decision about whether or not they’re ready for the road. Real friends who care about each other should take no offense in this, any adult who drinks with any regularity should be well aware that when we drink we are our own worst judge of the shape we’re in, and trusting in the concern of our friends could literally save a life! And there’s no reason to be a stick in the mud about the whole thing, although campaigns like the Anheuser-Busch Wanna Go Home with Me Tonight? campaign generate a little controversy, they put a humorous spin on a sometimes uncomfortable topic. On another humorous note, P.J. O’Rourke said in his book Modern Manners “Never Refuse Wine. It is an odd but universally held opinion that anyone who doesn’t drink must be an alcoholic.” There’s probably a strange truth in that, so for those of you who for some reason feel socially excluded without something that looks like a drink in your hand, we have some non-alcohol beer and bubbly on hand in the store. See below.

There was a time when a non-alcohol/low-alcohol beer was not a very pleasant concoction. This has definitely changed, with some of the best beer makers in the world making forays into the market. We have on hand low or non alcohol offerings from St Pauli, Oktoberfest Weizen, O’douls Amber, O’douls Premium, Labatt Blue, Beck’s, Clausthaler Premium, Clausthaler Golden Amber, and Kaliber.

St. Julian is Michigan’s oldest, largest and most-awarded winery, nestled in the picturesque fruit-growing region along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. St Julian applies the same care and passion to their sparkling juices that they do to their wines. Fruit flavors burst from the glass. Delicious, colorful, and loaded with antioxidants. We have on hand the Sparkling Pomegranate Blueberry, Sparkling Raspberry Spumante, Sparkling Red, and Sparkling White, and occasionally others.

We’re located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and if you are too, here’s a handy list of taxi companies you can call: