You might need a drink. Or two.

Thanksgiving can be a great time to lean into old favorites or bust up your traditions. Let us help you make some informed choices from a Wednesday-afternoon, long-weekend kick off tipple to a thank-goodness-everybody-is-gone Friday indulgence.

Wednesday, 5:01 pm., tequila two ways

It’s Wednesday. That’s not a time you are required to be entertaining. Do what you want. Drink tequila. If you are a tequila lover, treat yourself to a bottle of Herradura Añejo ($50). Aged for an absurd 25 months (a year over what’s typical) in American White Oak barrels, this añejo delivers with a big, bold cooked agave flavor that aficionados will appreciate. If you (think you) hate tequila, sip on a ranch water. Take 2.5 parts Cantera Negra Silver Tequila ($50), mix with 1.5 fresh lime juice, add some soda water. Haters will be surprised how smooth and refreshing a premium silver tequila can be in this can’t-fail cocktail.

Thursday, 2 p.m. on, lots of wine

Hosting? Buy more wine than you think you need. Stumped on what fresh flavors to pair with your cheese plate and signature mashed potatoes? Get a range. To help, these four wines are roughly listed from light to heavy.

Hahn Founder’s 2022 Monterey County Pinot Noir ($14) is your light-but-flavorful, this-is-so-good-I-could-drink-it-all-day-but-that-is-crazy-so-I-won’t wine. Tenuta Regaleali’s Lamùri Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC 2020 ($20) will transport you to where you really want to be — Sicily, naturally — with a sip that is full of fruit and finished with a welcome oakiness.

Trapiche Tesoro Malbec 2022 ($14) is an excellent choice for something full-bodied enough to stand up to heavy Thanksgiving foods but light enough to have two healthy glasses of. Because you gotta keep a tough yet silky cabernet sauvignon on hand, buy a couple bottles of this way-better-than-its-price-point William Hill Estate Winery’s 2021 California cab ($16)

Thursday, 7 p.m., an Italian amaro

Italian amaros, or bitter herbal liqueurs, are ideal after-dinner digestifs. You can’t go wrong with a simple vermouth or Averna. But why not mix it up with Savoia American Rosso ($25). This bittersweet botanical is crafted in an artisanal distillery in Turin with a score of different herbs, spices, and fruits — a bit of orange peel, a dash of rhubarb. Sip it at room temperature, chilled, over ice, or use it as a base for cocktails (it works in a nice twist on a Negroni). Can’t wait until evening? It makes a great afternoon aperitif.

Friday, 4:59 p.m., whiskey

There are two ways to go in the world of bourbon: The can’t-go-wrong classic and the take-a-chance underdog. Both approaches are smart. If you can’t afford to be disappointed or need a gift to bring to dinner, then go with the Woodford Reserve 2024 Holiday Bottle ($53). It is simply the best widely-available Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey whether you want to sip something or make an A+ Manhattan. Chicken Cock Straight Rye Whiskey ($45) isn’t new — the distillery has been around since 1856. Over that time, it has perfected its rye’s deep, dense flavor of spice, oak, and vanilla. And it also makes a full-marks Manhattan with the sweetness nicely toned down.