Sparkling Wine

Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Sangria de Cava at Columbia Restaurant in Tampa

August 8, 2009

Sangria de cava, made from the sparkling wine from Spain, is a house specialty at the historic Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

Sangria de cava, made from the sparkling wine from Spain, is a house specialty at the historic Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)


If you find yourself in Tampa, Fla. for a few days, chances are you’ll end up at the restaurant Columbia. A Spanish/Cuban restaurant in the Ybor City area, Columbia has been in business since 1905, making it the oldest restaurant in the state of Florida.

It’s a vast space with curved arches over the bar, indoor fountains and an extensive glass-walled wine room that showcases many wines from Spain and California. The restaurant is famous for its 1905 salad made from a trademarked recipe, deviled crab croquettes, paella and simple Cuban style dishes like ropa vieja served with perfectly sweet fried plantains and rice.

Scanning the drink menu, I wanted to order the pitcher of Sangria de Cava — and my adventurous friend Melonyce agreed to split it with me. I love white sangria and I created my own version in my book The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion that’s available now on Amazon.com. Cava is the sparkling wine from Spain, typically crafted from the local grapes xarel-lo, macabeo and parellada using the same methods as champagne. Columbia uses Cristalino Brut Cava, which is crisp with lemon and apple flavors, a hint of minerality and nice bubbles. Made in Spain’s Penedes region by Jaume Serra winery, Cristalino is very easy to find in your local wine shop and a favorite of many for its quality and affordable price – usually under $10.

Our waiter brought out all the ingredients including a half bottle of Cristalino Brut Cava and then mixed the white sparkling sangria table-side. As he worked, I jotted down the recipe for Columbia’s Sangria de Cava.

Columbia’s Sangria de Cava

2 flat wheels of orange, cut in half
4 flat wheels of lime, cut in half
2 flat wheels of lemon, cut in half
1 shot orange liqueur
1 shot brandy
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon and lime juice combined
1 shot simple syrup (see note)
1/2 bottle brut cava
2 maraschino cherries

Add orange, lime and lemon slices to a sturdy glass pitcher. Using a wooden spoon or a muddler, smash the fruit to release its juices. Add the orange liqueur, brandy, juices and simple syrup to the pitcher. Stir and then top off with the chilled cava. Garnish each glass with a maraschino cherry.
Note: To make simple syrup, mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Let cool and store in a clean bottle for up to two weeks. It’s an easy way to sweeten tea and lemonade without any pesky sugar crystals.
Serves 2 people.

Cocktail Recipes, Restaurants

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Mango Ginger Fizz at Twenty/20 in Carlsbad

August 1, 2009
The Mango Ginger Fizz and a Blood Orange Mimosa are two of the cocktails featured at Sparkling Sundays at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

The Mango Ginger Fizz (recipe below) and a Blood Orange Mimosa are two of the cocktails featured at Sparkling Sundays at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

I have to admit I’m not much of a brunch person. But a bubbly brunch like the one at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa is a different story.

Most places that do brunch offer a few de riguer sparkling cocktails like Mimosa or Bellini, because they know diners expect it along with their eggs Benedict. At Twenty/20 Grill & Wine Bar, however, they go all out, creating a Sparkling Sundays menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays that features 10 drinks with sparkling wine or champagne.

We walked through the modern lobby to the neo-classic style Twenty/20 restaurant which offers great ocean views on a clear day. Brunch is served on a sunny patio where guitarist played jazzy modern music and chefs cooked in plein aire.

We started with the Mango Ginger Fizz, a tangy golden mix of Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur, mango nectar and bubbly a Twenty/20 Mimosa that was tangy with the taste of blood orange juice. Other sparkling drinks include a French 75, a lemony gin cocktail; The Fraise with strawberries and champagne and the Au Pear with Hangar One Spiced Pear vodka and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. All are priced from $7 to $10.

The vineyard style pork sandwich is served open-faced and drizzled in pinot noir sauce. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

The vineyard style pork sandwich is served open-faced and drizzled in pinot noir sauce and colorful cherry tomatoes. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

The brunch menu created by resort chef Steven Patrick is unconventional too, offering wine friendly, California style tapas created with local ingredients in season. Offerings priced from $2 to 6 include small golden sweet peppers stuffed with herbed goat cheese, a delicious mini Kobe slider crowned in maple cured bacon and an open-faced pork loin grilled cheese sandwich drizzled with pinot noir sauce and sliced summer cherry tomatoes.

One of our favorite choices was a giant sweet prawn grilled with a bay leaf and paired with citrus aioli and black sea salt. And if you want a taste of something sweet, try the mini pancakes with Carlsbad strawberries.

A giant prawn is served seared with a bay laurel leaf, citrus aioli and black salt.(Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

A giant prawn is served in a deliciously simple way at Twenty/20 Grill: seared with a bay laurel leaf, citrus aioli and black salt. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

The tapas menu is so popular that it’s also offered on Thursday nights. For reservations or for more information, visit The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa web site or call 760-827-2500. The resort is located at 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad, Calif. 92008

Mango Ginger Fizz

2 ounces fresh mango nectar (see note)

1 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liquor

3 ounces brut sparkling wine, chilled

lime slice, for garnish

Add the mango nectar ( available at Trader Joe’s) and Domaine de Canton to a champagne flute. Top with the chilled sparkling wine. Garnish with a lime.

From Twenty/20 Grill & Wine Bar at the Sheraton Resort Carlsbad & Spa

Pop Culture, Sparkling Wine

Bubbly for the Obamas – Iron Horse Russian Cuvée

July 28, 2009
Barack and Michele Obama at the White House Ambassador's Reception on July 27. (Photo via AP)

Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House Ambassador's Reception on July 27, which featured string quartets, great food and bubbly. (Photo via AP)

Barack and Michelle Obama hosted a glittering reception this week for ambassadors to the U.S. from such far-flung places as Libya, Singapore, Chile and Japan. And what kind of bubbly did they serve to this international set? Turns out it was the Russian Cuvée from Iron Horse Vineyards in Sonoma County.

Besides being a fine example of sparkling wine crafted right here in the US of A, the Russian Cuvée has a history in diplomatic circles. It was the wine served at the historic Reagan-Grobachev Summits that helped end the Cold War in  the late 1980s. The wine is similar to Iron Horse’s crisp Classic Brut, but the Russian Cuvée has a slightly richer and sweeter finish.

The Russian Cuvee was originally created to be served at the end of the historic Reagan-Gorbachev Summit. (Photo Courtesy of Iron Horse)

Iron Horse's Russian Cuvée was originally created to be served at the end of the historic Reagan-Gorbachev Summits in the late 1980s. (Photo Courtesy of Iron Horse)

I heartily endorse serving Russian Cuvée – or any great bubbly – with potato chips; it’s a simple and magical combination. But at the White House party they went all out, serving a menu that included Tequila Smoked Salmon on Crisps, Petit Filet Mignon Sandwiches and Leek Tartlets as well as Fruit Cocktails with Whipped Cream and Marshmallows and Blueberry Vanilla Tartlets for dessert, according to a menu posted on the blog Obama Foodarama.

Pop Culture

The Bubbly Girl Drink of the Week: Moonwalk Cocktail

July 24, 2009
Rosewater - available at any Middle Eastern market - adds an exotic note to the Moonwalk cocktail which stars Grand Marnier and champagne. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

Rosewater - available at any Middle Eastern market - adds an exotic note to the Moonwalk cocktail which also stars Grand Marnier, champagne and grapefruit juice. The drink was created in 1969. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

Man first walked on the moon on July 21, 1969, but did you know there was a champagne cocktail created 40 years ago to commemorate the event? Me either – and I captured so many delicious classic champagne cocktails in my new book The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion.

I heard about the Moonwalk cocktail this week when Grand Marnier came to The Hard Rock Hotel San Diego for a cocktail class and tasting led by Steve Olson of The BAR. We tasted the Grand Marnier 100 and 150 and talked about making the ideal margarita with “Grandma,” tequila, lime and agave nectar. I also learned that the cognac-based spirit created in 1880 was originally called Curacao Marnier, after the oranges used to make it. But hotelier César Ritz thought that the name Grand Marnier sounded more, well, grand, and it stuck.

The bar was decorated with dramatic bursts of red Gerbera daisies which matched the Grand Marnier label. (Photo by Maria Hunt)

The bar was decorated with dramatic bursts of red Gerbera daisies which matched the labels of the Grand Marnier, a liqueur that blends cognac and bitter orange. (Photo by Maria Hunt)

Bartender Joe Gilmore at the Savoy Hotel in London crafted the original Moonwalk from Grand Marnier, graperuit juice, Moet & Chandon Brut champagne and a touch of rosewater. It’s currently on the menu at the trendy speak-easy style bar on Long Island called Dutch Kills. I think you’ll agree the Moonwalk has a very refined taste, but the rosewater adds a subtle exotic note, just the kind of thing one might want as they were flying to the moon.

The Moonwalk

Makes 1 cocktail

1 ounce Grand Marnier
1 ounce grapefruit juice
3 drops rose water
2 ounces brut champagne

Add the Grand Marnier, grapefruit juice and rosewater to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled, then strain into an old-fashioned coupe style champagne glass or small martini glass. Top with champagne.

The Apollo mission where men first walked on the moon lasted from July 16 to July 24. (Courtesy photo)

The Apollo mission where men first walked on the moon lasted from July 16 to July 24, 1969. (Courtesy photo)

Shopping

Get Crystallized and Bubblified in NYC

July 21, 2009

I’m always on the look out for sparkling new ideas and beautiful places to enjoy bubbly. So I was enchanted to learn about Crystallized, the new high-concept Swarovski jewelry  boutique that opened in late June in New York City.  The legendary Austrian company known for precision-cut crystals has several boutiques around the world and now there’s one at 499 Broadway in Soho.

Besides the truckloads of sparkly stones and baubles, Crystallized also boasts a lounge serving four kinds of sparkling wine and champagne:  Adami Prosecco, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut and Moet & Chandon’s Brut Imperial and Brut Rosé Imperial. I haven’t seen the whole upscale food menu yet, but I heard about a coulibiac of salmon in puff pastry that would be complemented by the Brut Rosé Imperial and I’m sure they’re serving french fries which are fabulous with anything that sparkles.

The all-white space features a stunning  crystal Cascade chandelier created by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen that illuminates the boutique’s two levels. Yards of display cases show off Swarovski bi-cone and round faceted crystals and pendants like the Lotus in colors ranging from crystal aurora borealis to black diamond (yes, I make jewelry too); shoppers can buy stones to make their own creations or have them assembled at Crystallized. They also sell all kinds of crystal accessories like an almost-practical blinged-out USB thumb drive for $55; jewelry like the Divine Rock Light necklace that raises money for clean-water projects and transfers to make sparkly T-shirts.

The new short sleeve Bubbly Girl T-shirt in berry pink is great for yoga, sleeping or wearing out with jeans.

The new short sleeve Bubbly Girl T-shirt in pretty berry pink is great for yoga, sleeping or wearing out with jeans. (Photo by Maria C. Hunt)

Speaking of T-shirts, it’s a perfect time to mention that the new summer Bubbly Girl T-Shirts with short sleeves  in a delicious shade of raspberry pink are now available in my online boutique. This shade seems to flatter every skin tone and the 100% cotton T-shirt emblazoned with a Swarovski crystal champagne flute and the words “bubbly girl” let you make a chic statement without even saying a word.