Special bubbles…
Summer is coming and that is usually the period of nice (garden) parties, barbecue parties, outside receptions and outdoor dinners. And what could be more fun than pampering your guests with a sparkling welcome drink? On a nice summer afternoon or sultry summer evening, a nice glass of Champagne, Cava or Sparkling wine is for a lot of people a great way to start the “being together”. Personally, I like to “dress up” such a drink, giving it something festive and giving the summer feeling something extra. A kind of cocktail but then with bubbles ... My wife Jennifer loves everything that comes close to a “mimosa”. Hereby I will give you some bubble recipes to try. Always make sure that the drinks are served well cold, preferably at a temperature between 37-42F.
The well-known Kir Royale consists of pouring a dash of Crème de Cassis into a festive glass and then supplementing it with bubbles. You can also replace the Crème de Cassis with another sweet fruit liqueur. Although it is no longer called Kir Royale, it can taste just as tasty. Personally, I think Apricot Brandy is a delicious variant.
For lovers of Grand Marnier I can recommend the following; Full dash of Grand Marnier, supplemented with bubbles and finally a tiny bit of Orange juice.
If you are a real enthusiast who prepares cocktails that take up a lot of time, then this might be a nice challenge; Fill the glass for about 1/3 part with crushed ice (because I don't have an ice crusher, I always take a clean tea towel, put some ice cubes in it, and then carefully smash it with a kitchen hammer) and put a good dash of cognac or brandy, then a little cherry liqueur and fresh lemon juice. Complete with bubbles and enjoy!
The famous Ritz Carlton hotel in Boston came up with a cocktail in 1934 that was supposed to give the hotel chain a kind of recognition, the so-called "Ritz Fizz", which consists of 15ml. Blue Curacao, 15 ml. Amaretto, 15 ml. Lemon juice and the rest bubbles. This drink has become a worldwide favorite posh bubble drink.
For the whiskey enthusiast, a combination of Southern Comfort with bubbles is nice and for the anise enthusiast a drink with the little charming name "Death in the Afternoon” (the favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway at the time of his stay in Paris) could be nice. It consists of Pernod in combination with dry bubbles.
What is also delicious and festive is a so-called "Spoom", this is a bubble cocktail to which a scoop of ice cream is added. (There are many other variants of Spoom, often real culinary delights but I will stick to the theme of this article) Originally a Spoom was an in-between dish that had to give the guests time to lower their food between courses. Because of the sweet nature of a Spoom, this is often presented today as a welcome drink. In between courses, such a sweet freshener is often not a good combination with the dishes that are brought to the table and, moreover, the combination with the wine that is served during dinner is in most cases not the right one. With Spooms you can experiment well, vary with ice cream flavors, but keep in mind that the combination sweet-sweet can sometimes be too sweet…
And last but not least this: If you want to give your bubble cocktail something extra in a simple way, grab 2 plates, one of which you fill with sugar and the other with syrup. Then dip the rim of the glass in the syrup and then carefully turn it through the sugar, and ... voila, you have just created a festive glass! To top it off you can decorate the glass with a piece of fruit or even put a piece of fruit (strawberry, cherry etc.) in it.
I wish you a festive Spring & Summer!
Roel Peters RP-Vinos USA
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