Ringing in the New Year calls for celebratory bubbles. Wether you are very much ready to leave it behind and are celebrating you survived 2022 and
01. Champagne Cocktail
The Champagne Cocktail is a showpiece, a celebratory drink!
Whatever and wherever you are celebrating, class up your glass of bubbles with this delicious recipe from the 1800s.
There are those that add Cognac to their Champagne Cocktail and those that do not. We think the Cognac is a welcome addition that adds a depth of flavour and luxuriousness that we do enjoy. It makes the drink a little punchier.
01. Hermosa Mimosa
The Mimosa, one of the most loved brunch recipes. However, it’s not often drunk beyond that environment. This recipe looks to correct that by subbing out the orange juice for a blend of apple and pink grapefruit juices with a dash of bitters.
It’s still an incredibly easy recipe to make, but leaving the orange juice behind takes it beyond its obvious association with breakfast fare. This is a Mimosa you can enjoy anytime.
02. Aperol Spritz
What can you say about this refreshing little number? Some recipes come into cocktail culture and influence what we’re drinking, then others come along and cause a paradigm shift in drinking culture. The Aperol Spritz is one such recipe.
The summers going forward from 2011 was when the juggernaut that is the Aperol Spritz began to get up to speed. Before this time, Aperol was only really drunk in Italy or used by bartenders in cocktail bars to mix lighter variations on Negronis or other Campari classics.
The Aperol Spritz real trick is that it made the successful jump from cocktail bar to any and every bar on the planet. Why? Inexpensive and familiar ingredients. No tools required. Served in a familiar glass that every bar carries. Simple garnish. Great colour. Light and easy to drink.
However, not only did the Aperol Spritz become a phenomenon, it inspired thousands of new or reinvented spritz recipes and made drinking sparkling, wine based, lower strength cocktails very cool! Before the Aperol Spritz, the only time you’d really hear reference to a Spritz was the White Wine Spritzer. A simple combination of white wine and sparkling water over ice, that was definitely not setting any cultural trends.
03. Royal Bitter Spritz
Strawberries are found at most celebratory moments, often accompanied by bubbles. Why not combine them in a delicious crisp and gently bitter drink?
The slices of fresh strawberry, acidity from pink grapefruit juice, and the dry botanicals of Gin, are a fun twist on the traditional spritz ingredients.
04. Spiced Honey Wine
This recipe is a twofer. Part Sangria, part Mulled Wine, this recipe works great in both the heat of summer and the cold months of winter. It’s a batched red wine recipe that you can either serve at a low ABV. Or like Sangria, you can stiffen it up with a measure of your preferred brown spirit. Served straight into your glass along with the batch. It even means that if you want, you can give your guests a choice of what spirit they mix with.
This recipe is also designed to be prepared well in advance. So, you get to enjoy the time with your guests rather than constantly fixing drinks for them.
05. French Spritz
Fresh, light and easy to drink, this is a Spritz recipe that steps away from the traditional formulae of the Spritz.
The bright red / orange bitter aperitivo of a traditional Spritz is replaced in this recipe with a splash of elderflower liqueur and fortified wine. This brings a lighter, floral and botanical note with less bitterness. Fresh ribbons of cucumber bring a deliciously fresh melon note that brings the whole recipe together as they soak into the ingredients in the glass.
07. Rebujito
Another wine cocktail from the south of Spain, most famously from the drinking tents of the early summer festivals. Recipes vary, and at their most common and simple you will be given a combination of Fino Sherry, Sprite or 7Up and maybe a slice of lemon served over lots of ice. In other areas you might have and there might even be a sprig or two of mint. Simple and delicious!
This is a version that takes just a tiny bit more effort, replacing the commercial lemon lime sodas with something made from scratch that we think is…worth exploring when making it at home!
It must be noted that Sherries are fortified wines, so they have a higher alcohol content and will pack a bigger punch than the Tinto de Verano…consider yourself warned!
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
@Candra_Drinks #MakeBetterDrinks #CandraDrinks
