Every year shortly before my birthday in the middle of October, my phone starts dinging with links to Christmas food and drink pairings since we are always looking for ways to reinvent some favorite items and try new things. I am always full steam ahead in the moment, but when it comes to the shopping list, some of those items (fine, it’s the drink ingredients) don’t make the cut because that steam has often dissipated completely.

So, I decided this year if I write about them for The SandPaper’s Holiday Guide, I would have a better shot at…