Four festive refreshments to make your season bright
By Sophie Isbister, Columnist
Tis the season to drink and be merry—but with temperatures at unseasonable highs, perhaps your taste buds are seeking something lighter and cooler than the typical holiday mulled wine. Since the holidays and the end of semester are approaching, it’s time to celebrate! So why not sparkle and shine with some of these classic sparkling wine cocktails, with a holiday twist. They’re delicious, make a statement, and best of all, are very easy to make.
Holidaze Mimosa
So you’ve had a mimosa, but have you had a festive mimosa? This tart and sweet beverage is ruby red, refreshing, and the citrus makes it appropriate for breakfast. Go for a sweeter sparkling wine to offset the cranberry juice. I recommend Lamarca Prosecco ($17.99 BC Liquor).
Fill champagne flutes half full with cranberry cocktail
Top with an off-dry prosecco
Garnish with an orange twist
Santa’s French 75
A French 75 is a classic French champagne cocktail. It is typically made with gin, lemon juice, and champagne— for a holiday-friendly twist, try this version with orange and brandy, and for a budget friendly-twist, use prosecco instead of champagne. Pick a sweeter or less sweet prosecco, depending on your taste.
Add ice, 2 oz cognac, 2 tsp sugar, and 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice to a shaker.
Shake for 15 seconds
Add to champagne flutes and top with sparkling wine
Stir gently and garnish with an orange twist
“Naughty List” Kir Royale
A Kir Royale is a deliciously simple and simply delicious sparkling wine drink, usually enjoyed in the summer. However, I think they should be enjoyed year-round. I recommend buying a dry cava for this beverage. Cava is a type of sparkling wine from Spain—a popular brand is Freixenet ($15.49 BC Liquor).
Add 1 tablespoon of cassis (black current liqueur) to a champagne flute
Top with cava
Garnish with fresh cranberries for a holiday look!
Festive Pimm’s Fizz
Pimm’s No. 1 Cup ($24.79 BC Liquor) is a gin-based spirit from the U.K. whose true ingredients remain a mystery (or just the company’s trademark). It is bittersweet and citrusy, with a definite gin flavour. The great thing about Pimm’s is that you can make it in a single cocktail or into a punch bowl for the whole party to share. You can also mix up whatever fruit you put in it. I’ve given the recipe in parts, so you can scale it up or down for however much Pimm’s Fizz you want to make!
Mix 2 parts Pimm’s in a punch bowl or glass
Add 3 parts lemonade
Add 1 part sparkling wine
Add sliced oranges and fresh cranberries, or whatever fruit you want!
I hope you and your guests enjoy these delicious sparkling wine cocktails! Mixing drinks is a fun way to be the highlight of a party, so don’t be afraid to modify these recipes and get creative.
