I could wax poetic about how much I love celebrating New Years but the truth is I’m more like my neighbor Sam. When mentioning another neighborly get together for New Years we thought a French celebration would be nice and by that I mean on France’s time zone so we can be done by 4pm! And Sam is my daughter’s age! Still, no matter the time there will be a glass raised to celebrate the end of another year and toast the possibilities of the one we’re entering. It is certainly a bittersweet moment; saying goodbye to the good and the bad of the past and always with a hope of the things to come.
One thing you can count on; I’ll keep the cocktails coming. One of my hopes for the future is to finally get a cocktail blog live so that I can focus on more than one drink per week. I have a gaggle of people willing to help with that venture; at least in the tasting department. My good friend Sandy and I are discussing working together to bring some dreams for this blog to fruition and we worked last week on cocktails. The first was the Blackberry Collins shown above that I enjoyed on my birthday when we went out for drinks. We oohed and aahed over it and loved it so much that we had to recreate it in my kitchen where some more oohs and aahs were forthcoming.
Then we made this cocktail, this perfectly simple but also perfectly beautiful cocktail. Pomegranate juice, lemon, ginger and sugar are all simmered together for a few minutes then cooled and topped off in a champagne glass with some sparkling wine. Sounds simple right? And it is. Simply the best. Seriously one of my favorite cocktails of this year. It’s all about that touch of ginger. And it is just a touch but it adds such a nice little zing to this beauty that the end result is perfect. The color, the taste, the sparkle…all of them.
It was perfect for a party too. No dealing with measuring while guests wait, just make a batch or three and simply pour into glasses and top with Prosecco. Whether you stay up til all hours or are planning your own European New Years (hehe) this should be on your list of have to haves; it’s that good.
For this cocktail I used Voga Italia Prosecco; a new addition to the meticulously crafted wines that are imported from Italy by Enovation Brands. Prosecco is one of the most rapidly growing sparkling wines in the market and offers a refreshing product that I think appeals to both the experienced and novice wine drinkers. Refreshingly balanced with an explosion of citrusy fruit flavors I thought it absolutely perfect for this cocktail.
Though I’m not yet ready to start doing multiple cocktails every week, I have teamed up with a friend to give you two today…I mean it’s a holiday after all! Shanna is the blogger behind the blog Pineapple and Coconut and I think she told me the story about that name but all I think of when I see it is Hawaii. She is not from Hawaii but seems her heart and soul is. Or Bora Bora on off days. She’s made a gorgeous cocktail for New Year’s Eve using St. Germain Liqueur, one of my very favorites. Combined with some pear sorbet and champagne…can’t you just taste the deliciousness?
New Year’s Eve St. Germain Pear Sorbet Champagne Cocktail
An elegant New Year’s cocktail made with a spiced poached pear sorbet that’s been spiked with flowery St. Germain liqueur and is topped off with chilled Prosecco. The sorbet flavors the cocktail with every sip while also keeping it chilled. Perfect isn’t it?
Shanna looks prepared to stay up way past my bedtime but then she does live in Vegas. I’m betting she celebrates on Hawaiian time…so all into the next day! Scoot on over to her blog and check out this recipe; nothing wrong with having two cocktails for guests at your party – call this one dessert!
One or both I hope you’ll try one for your festivities. I find my guests look most forward to what cocktails I’ll be making so I put my time and attention towards them…and tell them to each bring an appetizer. It works for everyone and I love sharing cocktail creations with my neighbors. We all get along so well; hmm, maybe it’s the booze! :)
Pomegranate Ginger Sparkler
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ⅓ cup sugar (more if your taste wants something sweeter))
- 3 inch knob of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish
- Lemon slices for garnish (Optional - see notes for recipe for candied lemon slices as shown)
- Combine the pomegranate juice, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Simmer on low heat for about 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool then strain the liquid into a glass container. Refrigerate until cold.
- Fill a champagne glass halfway with the pomegranate elixer. Top with chilled sparkling wine.
- Add fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) to the glass and garnish the rim with a lemon slice.
