| From This Week In Texas LifeStyle
Yes Champagne is the drink to serve at the start of the New Year, but there are also lots of stylish alternative cocktails to serve before the clock strikes twelve. If you want to make your New Year’s Eve party stand out from all the rest this year, try serving specialty seasonal cocktails so when those flutes filled with fine Champagne are passed around prior to midnight, that moment when the ball drops and the whistles are blown will seem all the more special. Here are a few of my personal favorite suggestions:
Ginger Martini Something about a Ginger Martini just seems right for a holiday party. Maybe it’s the golden color or the spiciness of the cocktail but trust me it works. Ginger is both warm and refreshing naturally, but when paired with Vodka it is a sensation. Here’s how I do it: Ingredients: 3 ounces Belvedere vodka Fill a cocktail shaker or glass pitcher with ice. Pour in Belvedere vodka, ginger syrup, splash of lime juice and Vernor’s. Shake or stir vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or pour over ice. Garnish with a twist of lemon or lime. [For ginger syrup, grate 2 tablespoons of ginger into a saucepan filled with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 7 – 10 minutes. Strain and cool.].
Green Tea Martini It’s healthy and it looks fab in a glass. What’s not to like about that? Ingredients Ice 2 oz Kettle Citroen Vodka This is so simple. Place mint into shaker, muddle quickly. Add ice, vodka, green tea and/or Grand Marnier. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with twist of lime.
Classic Manhattan A Manhattan is a truly sophisticated cocktail ideal for the holidays or at any time of the year, which is why they will certainly be an elegant accoutrement for any New Year’s Eve gathering this year. Ingredients 2 oz Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey Pour whiskey and sweet vermouth into a shaker filled with ice. Add dash of bitters, shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a single red cherry.
Fruity Bellinis If you plan on serving breakfast to your guests after a long night of partying, you’ll need something smart and fizzy to keep the energy bubbling over until the wee hours of the morning. I suggest a Fruity Bellini. Ingredients 4 oz chilled Champagne, Prosecco or Cava *Kern’s fruit nectar can be substituted for organic fruit syrup. (Pear or Apricot work best for me, but Guava’s an interesting choice as well)
Blood Orange Mimosas Blood orange is a fruit with I am fond of as much for its flavor as its unusual color. Using the juice of a blood orange in a traditional Mimosa recipe adds a lovely twist to a sparkling classic that works great with a New Year’s brunch. Cut Blood Orange in half using a sharp knife, then use a juicer to extract juice from the Blood Orange. Strain juice. Pour about 1 ½ oz of Blood Orange juice into champagne flute. Fill flute with chilled Champagne. Garnish with orange twist and serve. And with that I wish you a happy and stylish 2008. Until next year…Cheers! |
