In 1968, Town & Country asked twenty-three celebrities for their favourite Christmas drinks. Most included were actors, though there among the list are two couturiers (Cardin and Givenchy), one writer (my trashy fave Harold Robbins), a songwriter (Burt Bacharach), and a soprano (Maria Callas)—as well as one legend of drink-making, Trader Vic’s Vic Bergeron. I no longer drink alcohol, but reading through these ideas has made me seriously crave a non-alcoholic Christmas punch.
The following year, Town & Country published a follow-up, “My Favorite Christmas Recipe.” This time, instead of celebrities, it asked socialites and political wives, making for a much less interesting collection. I don’t know about you, but Mrs. Barry Goldwater and Mrs. Richard Nixon (as their names are styled in the issue) hold less appeal than Paul Newman and Katherine Ross—but let me know if you would like me to share those recipes, too.
For more holiday entertaining advice, two years ago, I shared an article from the December 1974 issue of Cosmopolitan that features “fabulous parties” given by “Lili Townshend—previously directrice of YSL’s first NYC boutique, turned art dealer,” fashion designer Carol Horn, and fashion publicist Anita Johnson.
