Most people know what they'll be eating for Thanksgiving dinner, and chances are it will be turkey with all the trimmings. But they probably haven't given nearly as much thought to what they'll be drinking with that festive meal.

Wine writers are full of suggestions, but what about folks who prefer something other than wine, or kids who might want something special to sip at a holiday feast?

The good news is that there are plenty of good nonwine choices for the Thanksgiving table, from meads or fruit beers to ciders hard or plain. They won't all be to everyone's liking, but chances are you'll find some pleasant surprises.

Even if you already know what you want to sip, Thanksgiving's a holiday devoted primarily to feasting, and there's plenty of time for more than one beverage.

Here are some ideas for before, during or after dinner:

This time of year cider is always welcome on my table - especially if the drink's fresh. Most people associate cider with apples, but I found a good, fresh pear cider at a local farmers' market. I'll have it on hand for Thanksgiving Day. I'll also have a good supply of apple cider from Red Jacket Orchard, a family farm in Geneva, N.Y., that makes some of the freshest-tasting cider I can remember.

Mark Nicholson, a third-generation family member in the business, attributes the clarity and freshness to sturdy dwarf trees, good growing conditions and high-grade apples.

Nicholson says dwarf trees are important because the size allows more light to reach the fruit and more air to circulate, reducing the need to use pesticides or other chemicals. "We try to build a healthy ecosystem," says Nicholson, who has a degree in pomology - that's horticulture focusing on apple and pear production - from Cornell. The company also takes pride in using higher-grade apples than usually goes into cider or juice.

Red Jacket markets several varieties of cider and juice, available locally at Sutton Place Gourmet or online at www.redjacketorchards.com. My choice for Thanksgiving Day is the Cranberry Apple Cider, with just enough cranberry to make it a festive sip for children and adults alike.

An offbeat choice is lambic beer, a fruit-based beer perfected in Belgium. To palates unaccustomed to variety in their beer, it can be an unusual taste. But sip it with an open mind, and you might find you like the subtle balance of sweet and sour tastes.

Lambic beers usually come in cherry (kriek), peach (peche), raspberry (framboise) or currant (cassis). Some people might even enjoy a cherry lambic with their turkey, although if you're new to lambic beer, you might do better to save it for after dinner.

Don't forget hard cider. Wine-style hard ciders could go nicely with either pre-dinner mingling or with turkey at the table. My favorite hard ciders are from the apple-growing regions of France.

If you're feeling adventurous, check your local wine store for mead. There are many styles of this honey-based beverage, and many grades of sweetness. Warm it up and even mull it with some cinnamon or other spices, and mead might make the perfect after-dinner drink.

Thanksgiving dinner is a time of traditions - a time to observe old ones and create new ones. So this time around, offer a toast to new horizons and sip something new sometime during the day.