The best debates are timeless, spirited, provocative, compelling and engaging.

Wolski's or Hooligan's?
Light rail or revamped expressways?
Yount or Molitor?
Zaffiro's, Pizza Man or Lisa's?
David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar?

Well ... some discussions are more frivolous than others.

One of our perennial favorite discussions (the topic was too sunny to call it a "debate") cropped up the other day in the editorial office and we decided to share it with you, the reader, on this Thanksgiving Eve. Here it is:

What is the best drinking day of the year?

We can almost hear the smart alecks out there blurting out "Today!" But, you have to give this one some thought. What is your favorite day to raise a glass (in moderation and with an eye toward motor safety, of course) in celebration? Is it your birthday? Your anniversary? Is it New Year's Eve? St. Patrick's Day? Opening Day? Halloween? The first day of Summerfest?

We polled our writing staff and the answers are listed below. Use the Talkback feature to give us your choice.

Kevin Brandt
Blogger / co-star of WKLH"s "Dave and Carole Morning Show"
Pick: Aug. 23
What is the best day for drinking? Interesting question. Of course, there are the standards -- St. Pat's Day, New Year's Eve, Thanksgiving Eve, Opening Day, etc. But when it gets right down to a single day, my vote would have to go to Aug. 23. You may ask, what is the significance of Aug. 23? A birthday? Anniversary? First time you got laid? None of the above.

Anyone can drink for a reason, but the best day to go on an all-day bender is when you have no reason at all. Get up in the morning. Crack a beer and off you go. To me, purposeful drinking serves no purpose. It's when it sneaks up on you that makes it a great day. Be sure to forget a couple of obligations and appointments while you're at it. It adds to the legend.

Molly Snyder Edler
Staff Writer
Pick: Any warm summer night
I enjoy having a drink or two the most on any warm summer evening, either in my backyard with friends and neighbors, or on a patio at one of my favorite watering holes like Nomad World Pub, Art Bar or Trocadero. Indulging in a cocktail in perfect weather, surrounded by the good vibes that exude from Milwaukeeans during the summertime, is divine.

I'm also a big fan of Halloween imbibing because inebriation adds to the netherworld weirdness of the spooktacular holiday.

Julie Lawrence
Staff Writer
Pick: New Year's Day
My favorite drinking day of the year might be New Year's Day. Sure, New Year's Eve is supposed to be the end-all of booze bashes, but if you make it into Day 1 alive and relatively unharmed, why not continue that party? I'm not talking about getting sloshed and passing out mid-day, but rather celebrating January with class -- and a lil' buzz. Whether it's finding an open restaurant and doing brunch, having friends over for the afternoon or hitting up a special-occasion place like Bryant's in the early evening, it's a great way to kick off what always kind of feels like a fresh start.

Drew Olson
Senior Editor
Pick: Thanksgiving Eve
There are several factors that make tonight my favorite evening for socializing / cocktailing. In college, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving presented a chance to reunite with the high school gang who had gone in different directions since graduation. To this day, there is a "reunion" vibe about the day as people come from different points on the map and converge in familiar surroundings. The best part, though, is Thanksgiving Day itself. Very few people work on Thanksgiving Day. For many of us, it is a blissfully relaxing day in which our only major responsibilities are waking up, watching a parade and some football games and stuffing ourselves with turkey in the company of family members. The Christmas holiday brings its own special set of obligations and shopping and commercialism. It has an entirely different rhythm -- hectic and somewhat solemn -- than Thanksgiving.

Bobby Tanzilo
Managing Editor
Pick: Various
I don't have a specific calendar day that I love best for drinking, but the first day warm enough to grill and sit outside on the patio to eat is pretty much right up there. Also, any nice, warm, sunny day at Miller Park, when the roof is open ... that's invariably a great day -- and a great setting -- for a beer. I love two fingers -- very fat fingers; you know, the condition known as sausage fingers -- of grappa on a really, really cold winter night. And, I find that any day of the week ending in with the letters "-day" is a great day for a glass of red wine.

Andy Tarnoff
Publisher
Pick: The Saturday before Halloween
This may be an unconventional choice, but my favorite drinking day of the year is the Saturday closest to Halloween. I love the pageantry of getting dressed -- and liquored -- up. Drinking in costume lets one assume a new identity, if only for one day. (You'd be surprised what you can get away with in Borat or Gallagher garb.) Conversely, my least favorite drinking day is Opening Day. Call me a baseball purist snob, but by Opening Day, I'm so ready for baseball that 45,000 two-fisted slobbers only distract me from such a glorious event. I love seeing Miller Park packed, but I'd prefer to see it full of baseball fans, not wasted fans.