It's always great to have a well-stocked bar for when friends come over. But for a party, I like to keep it simple.
I usually include:
a few bottles of Presecco or Cava
great bottle of gin (I prefer Hendrick's)
good bottle of vodka
plenty of tonic (and maybe even a bottle of diet tonic too)
sodas - coke, diet coke & either ginger ale or sprite
at least one juice to mix (usually cranberry)
I like to always have a bottle of St-Germain on hand too.
photo from the late, great Domino Magazine
As I was trying to decide what drink to serve at this year's holiday party, I studied each of these recipes below, not being able to decide which I should serve.
In the end, I went with a very, very, very simple idea that was an absolute hit. I served Presecco with a little pomegranate juice and garnished with pomegranate seeds. It was beautiful, festive and SO easy. I had a bottle of St-Germain for people to make the drink a bit sweeter if they wished.
Let me know what you decide to serve!
The Vieux Mot
1 oz Gin
1 oz St-Germain
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Cointreau
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker and shake for about 20 seconds.
2. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a cherry, and enjoy!
Champagne Cocktail
From Sweet Paul online magazine if you have not seen this magazine - make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, set aside 30 minutes and let yourself get lost in his dreamy magazine. Sweet Paul's Champagne Cocktail
For 1 Glass:
3 oz of champagne
1/3 oz of cognac
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 sugar cube
1.) Soak sugar cube in champagne flute with angostura bitters
2.) Add champagne and cognac
3.) Garnish with a sprig of currents
Elderflower Champagne Cocktail
Elderflower Champagne Cocktail
1. Fill a tumbler with ice.
2. Fill three-quarters of the glass with dry champagne or prosecco.
3. Add thinly sliced cucumber and fresh mint.
4. Top off with St-Germain.
Kumquat-Champagne Cocktails
Kumquat-Champagne Cocktails
makes 1 dozen drinks
2 pints kumquats, pricked a few times with a pin
- Cold water
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 bottles chilled Champagne
- Tangerine wedges, for garnish
- 1. Place kumquats in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Drain immediately. Repeat twice.
- 2. Add sugar and 2 cups water to drained kumquats in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately, and let kumquats and syrup cool completely.
- 3. Spoon 3 kumquats and 1 tablespoon syrup into each of 12 Champagne glasses.
- 4. Top off with Champagne, and garnish with tangerine wedges.
Cranberry Cosmopolitans
makes 10 drinks
- 1 bottle (750 ml) vodka
- 5 ounces Cointreau
- 10 ounces cranberry-juice cocktail
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- Fresh cranberries, for garnish
- 1. Fill a large pitcher with ice.
- 2. Pour in all ingredients except cranberries; stir vigorously.
- 3. Strain into glasses, discarding ice.
- 4. Garnish with berries.
Blissini
1 1/2 cups Prosecco, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, chilled
- Mint leaves, for garnish
- 1. Combine the Prosecco, orange juice, and pomegranate juice
- 2. Pour into 4 Champagne glasses.
- 3. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.
