Drinks

Red, White and Blue Mojito – with Chandon American Summer

January 31, 2011
Red white and blue mojito in a glass with a white frosted rim

It’s almost the 4th of July, which means its time to pull out this recipe for my berrylicious Red, White and Blue Mojito.

I admit, I’ve shared this recipe for a sparkling mojito with red raspberries, white cherries and blueberries before.

But I think it bears repeating, since it’s such a fun way to use seasonal summer fruit. And it’s the perfect way to feature the limited edition Chandon American Summer Brut Sparkling, a cool white bottle covered in red and blue stripes.

And it’s so much better to create a color-coordinated Fourth of July or Bastille Day cocktail without resorting to artificial grenadine or blue curaçao, don’t you think?

Red, White & Blue Mojito
Makes 1 cocktail
3 red raspberries
2 white cherries, pitted and halved
4 blueberries
4 fresh mint leaves
1 ounce Homemade Sour Mix
3/4 ounce Chambord black raspberry liqueur
3 to 4 ounces sparkling wine
berries and mint for garnish

Add the raspberries, white cherries (or golden raspberries), blueberries and mint to a sturdy glass. Slowly smash the fruit and herbs with the muddler until you have a juicy and fragrant pulp in the bottom of the glass.

Now add the sour mix and fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice. Add the Chambord and then top with the sparkling wine and stir gently. Garnish with a combination of berries and mint.

Drinks

Flamingo Cocktail Recipe

January 31, 2011

Flamingo

The bright orange hue of this cocktail comes from the combination of the Italian aperitif Aperol and guava nectar. I like it with sekt, the light sparkling wine that comes from Germany. It would be fine before dinner though it would also be quite tasty with for brunch, if you can rationalize it.

Makes 1 cocktail

  • 2 ounces guava nectar
  • 1 ounce Aperol
  • 1/2 ounce vodka
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 4-5 ounces sekt
  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Add guava nectar, Aperol, vodka and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled; strain into a martini glass. Top off with sekt. Garnish with a lemon peel.

© By Maria C. Hunt, author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion Published August 2009 by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House

Drinks

Homemade Sour Mix

January 31, 2011

Homemade Sour Mix

You can buy sour mix at the store, but if you take a little time to make your own, you’ll discover that this one has a bright and fresh taste that can’t come out of a bottle. Plus you know it doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients.

Makes 1.5 cups

1 cup sugar

1 cup combination of fresh lime juice and lemon juice

Add 1 cup water and the sugar to a non-reactive 2-quart pot and bring to a boil. Let cool slightly, then add the lemon-lime juice and stir. Let cool. then pour through a funnel into a sterilized bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

From: The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion by Maria C. Hunt (Clarkson Potter, August 2009)

Drinks

Raspberry Mojito Float

January 31, 2011

Raspberry Mojito Float

Raspberry Mojito Floats

6 fresh raspberries, plus 1 extra

3 fresh mint leaves, plus sprig for garnish

1 ounce Zaya rum

1/2 ounce simple syrup

1 teaspoon lime juice

3 ounces prosecco

scoop lime sherbet or sorbet

Muddle six raspberries, 3 mint leaves, rum, simple syrup and lime juice in a cocktail mixing glass. Strain the contents into a small flute. Top with the prosecco and add the lime sherbet or sorbet. Thread the mint sprig through the raspberry to make a garnish and serve right away.

Cocktail Recipes, Drinks

Quo Vadis Apertivo Cocktail Recipe

January 31, 2011

I had never been a big fan of the Italian aperitif Campari until bartender Paul Mant made me this brilliant champagne cocktail at Quo Vadis Club in London. The clementine (tangerine) juice and the bubbles soften the Campari’s bitterness to a pleasant note. This cocktail is as delicious at 3 a.m. as  it is at the end of long evening or served at brunch.

Makes 1 cocktail

  • 3/4 ounce clementine juice
  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon simple syrup or agave nectar
  • 3/4 ounce Campari
  • 3 ounces champagne
  • lemon twist, for garnish

Add clementine juice, lemon juice, simple syrup or agave nectar if using and Campari to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the mixture is well-chilled. Pour into a small stemless flute or a juice glass. Top off with the champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Courtesy of Quo Vadis in Soho, London