My cousins, friends, and I played Speakeasy Secret Santa last night, at the suggestion of my brother Jason. (Edit: The game was invented by our cousin Mark.) It was fun. Here's how it works:

  1. Go to a speakeasy with at least 4 other friends. (It doesn't need to be a speakeasy, technically. But it needs to have a wide variety of good drinks, and speakeasies do. Also, alliteration.)
  2. Everyone pitches their IDs into the center. One person shuffles under the table and hands everyone an ID (also under the table, reshuffling if someone gets their own ID). You are the Secret Santa and will order a drink for the person you draw.
  3. Go around the table and have everyone briefly state their drink preferences. ("Sweet and not medicinal." "I love bourbon." "Girly drinks." "l don't like wine, but I love dark malty beers.")
  4. Order for your Secret Santa.
  5. When the drinks arrive, go around the table again and read out drink names and descriptions while others guess who the drink is for.
  6. Then go around the circle one last time, with each person presenting the drink to its final recipient.
  7. Enjoy.

Will play again. Also, I learned that my brother really likes bourbon. (And whiskey, particularly of the Japanese sort.) Good to know.