Courtesy of marthastewart.com
MENNING MIMOSA
This fabulous recipe for a menning mimosa is a perfect cocktail to serve at any celebration.
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
Prosecco, chilled
Fresh mint leaf
In a Champagne flute, mix together orange juice, lemon juice, and liqueur. Fill with Prosecco. Garnish with mint leaf and serve immediately.
LILLET ROSE COCKTAIL
Lillet Rose, a fortified-wine blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscatel, has the aroma of flowers and ripe berries — perfect for a springtime aperitif. Garnishing the drinks with edible flowers is a lovely touch.
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12 ounces Lillet Rose
12 ounces Ruby Red grapefruit juice
6 ounces gin
6 edible flower blossoms (optional; chefs-garden.com)
Combine 6 ounces Lillet, 6 ounces grapefruit juice, 3 ounces gin, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until well chilled. Strain and divide cocktail among 3 stemmed cocktail glasses, such as Champagne coupes. Repeat.
Garnish with flowers. Serve immediately.
GRAPEFRUIT SPARKLER
1 cup sugar
8 whole star anise
6 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice, chilled
1/3 cup Campari
2 cups champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water with the sugar and star anise; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from heat; let cool completely.
Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a measuring cup (to yield 1 cup); discard star anise. Cover syrup with plastic wrap, and chill.
In a large pitcher, combine grapefruit juice, Campari, and chilled syrup. Divide among eight glasses; top with Champagne. Serve immediately.
PEAR AND SPARKLING CIDER COCKTAILS
An earthy, sweet pear-cider cocktail is tinged with whiskey — a perfect drink for a cold day.
2 cups pear nectar, chilled
2 cups sparkling apple cider, chilled
2 cups seltzer, chilled
4 ounces (1/2 cup) bourbon whiskey, such as Knob Creek
1 Bosc pear, unpeeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
Stir together pear nectar, cider, seltzer, and whiskey in a pitcher. Divide pear wedges among glasses, and pour in cocktail. Serve immediately.
LEMON DROP CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
Lemon complements just about everything beautifully, making it the logical flavor choice for a celebratory Champagne and vodka punch.
3 lemons, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle (750 milliliters) Champagne, chilled
3/4 cup best-quality vodka, chilled
4 ounces candied lemon peels
With a vegetable peeler, remove zest from each lemon in a long, continuous spiral. Juice lemons, and strain pulp (you should have 3/4 cup juice). Set aside.
Heat sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add zest. Let syrup cool completely, about 2 hours.
Pour Champagne, vodka, lemon juice, and syrup into a punch bowl; stir. Serve glasses of punch with candied peels.
Cook’s Note
Lemons are easier to peel and will release more juice at room temperature than when chilled.