We are relatively bad college students. Instead of going out to bars and getting crazy on New Year’s Eve, the last two years we’ve stayed at home drinking our favorite champagne, whiskey and wine. This year, we made a veritable feast of appetizers, paired with a signature drink of whiskey-apple juice-ginger ale. Our evening did get somewhat exciting at about 1 AM when the power went out; so crazy!

Check out our drinks and our noms:

The wine: Project Paso Cabernet Sauvignon

The alcohol: 13.8%

The price: $9.99 (Windsor Heights Hy-Vee)

About the wine: “Our Project Paso Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent example of high quality Paso Robles Cabernet. The nose is multi-layered, with wild, dusty blackberry, hints of jalapeño, leather, and dried mushrooms from Paso’s rich, red soils. On the palate, flavors of black cherry, dark plum, and cinnamon-spiked strawberry preserves come together with integrated, mouth-watering acidity. Medium-bodied with moderate tannins, the finish lingers with cherry, tobacco leaf and cedar notes.” -Don Sebastiani & Sons

The verdict: This deep violet-colored wine boasts an earthy, deep, blackberry scent. We found that “dusty blackberry” and “dried mushroom” smell rather off-putting at first, but once it fully opened up, we began to enjoy the spicy, leathery undertones. The wine itself tasted leathery and earthy, with bright undertones of berry and a bit of pepper. We enjoyed this wine, but isn’t wasn’t one of our favorites. The spicy, especially earthy flavors weren’t our favorites, and didn’t balance well with the slight blackberry flavors. We give this wine a B-

The whiskey: George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey

The price: $22.99 (at Ingersoll Dahl’s)

About the whiskey: “Displaying enormous depth, range and personality, it is considered by many to be the gold standard of Tennessee whisky. With deeper, more assertive flavors and an incredibly smooth finish, No. 12, a classic 90-proof Dickel whisky, combines older whiskies selected by Master Distiller John Lunn to create a richness that maintains Dickel’s signature smooth finish. Concentrated flavors of rich oak and subtle vanilla lead to a long finish with hints of maple, butter and smoke.” -GeorgeDickel.com

The drink: 1.5 oz whiskey
3 oz. Simply Apple
top with ginger ale

This whiskey was delicious in this drink, but had a great flavor by itself. For the incredible taste, smoothness, and complexity AND the price (!!!) we were really impressed with Dickel Whiskey, and we suggest any whiskey enthusiast give it a try.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip with pita chips

Homemade Crabmeat Rangoons with sauce

Decked out potato skins