Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Happy Hannukah! Happy Kwanzaa! Feliz Las Posadas! Best Wishes Year of the Dragon 2012!
As we close in on the "Big Day" and the other big days to come, we wanted to share our favorites tipples for the year and all time. These are the picks we would want you to bring as gifts to our homes.
These picks have all been tested and approved and we are 100% sure you will not be disappointed!
Our visuals may not correspond with our recipes because we scattered different types of tipples througout the story. Enjoy the visual
feast!
Here are our picks along with a recipes for 2011.
ST GERMAIN
St-Germain is made from the blossoms of the elderflower tree. It was the first liqueur created in the artisanal manner from freshly handpicked elderflower blossoms.
The elderflower is a delicate flower which quickly loses it fragrance and flavor.
Only for a few days in late spring in the foothills of the Alps are the manufacturers able to harvest the flowers for this exceptional liqueur. The harvest time is 2 to 3 weeks and French farmers (paysans) handpick and deliver the blossoms to local depots. Some use a specially rigged bicycle to take the blossoms to a local depot. Upon arrival the story of how the one of a kind flavor of the elderflower is harvested is a family secret. The resulting liquid is then mixed with grape spirit and cane sugar. The final flavor hints of citrus, peach and pear.
St-Germain is the main ingredient in some of the more delicious cocktails in the world. You can find it at fine liquor stores everywhere.
St-Germain Cocktail
2 parts Brut Champagne or sparkling wine
11/2 parts St-Germain
2 parts sparkling water or club soda
Fill a tall Collins Glass with ice. Add the Champagne first, then St-Germain, then Club Soda. Stir completely and garnish with a lemon twist.
APEROL
Aperol is an Italian aperitif originally produced by the Barbieri company in Padua Italy. It is now produced by the Campari Company. Now stay with me ...it is also the main ingredient in another aperitif popular in northern Italy in the Veneto region " Spritz'. Spritz is a wine based cocktail produced by the Campari group. Spritz is usually mixed with a liqueur such as Aperol or Campari along with white wine, the name of the mix is Aperol Spritz ( It is the unofficial drink of Italy) AperoSpitzCommercial.
Aperol was originally produced in 1919, but it did not become popular until after the second World War. The ingredients? Gentian, Rhubarb, Bitter Orange, Cinchona. It is very similar to Campari but it is slightly sweeter and the alcoholic content is a bit less than that of Campari. It is also lighter in color than Campari. It has a slightly sweet, bitter taste while Campari is more bitter. These drinks are perfect for hot days at the beach if you need something which is not too sweet, too sweet tends to make you more thirsty, the bitter helps to make the drink refreshing. Perfect for summer cocktails!!!
Roman Holiday
11/2 ounces Orange Vodka
1/2 ounce Aperol
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Tangelo Wedge
Strain with ice, pour into a Martini glass and then top with Prosecco!
Top with wedge.
CACHACA
Caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil and the main ingredient is Cachaca. Cachaca is made from fermented sugar cane. Rum is made from Molasses, Cachaca is made from fresh sugar cane juice with is fermented and distilled. There are two varieties of Cachaca aged and unaged, or white and dark. Unaged and white is often used in cocktails while the aged or dark is meant to me drank straight or on the rocks.
Caipirinha
1/2 lime, quartered
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 1/2 fluid ounces cachaca
1 cup ice cubes
In a large rocks glass squeeze and drop in 2 eighths of lime. Add sugar, crush and mix with a spoon. Pour in the cachaca and plenty of ice. Stir well.
LIMONCELLO
Limoncello is a sweet lemony liqueur from southern Italy. It is not sour, because it is made from lemon peel not the juice of the lemon combined with a range of alcoholic bases. It is usually chilled and served as a after dinner drink, but also appears in cocktails.
Mutu
Named after Florence soccer star Adrian Mutu
3 oz Vernaccia or other crisp white wine
1 oz St Germain Liqueur
1/2 oz Limoncello, homemade or purchased
Soda water to taste
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Fill a collins glass with ice. Add the Vernaccia, elderflower liqueur and limoncello. Top with soda water and stir. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.
KAHLUA
Kahlua is made from 100 %Arabica coffee beans and sugarcane in the Veracruz section of Mexico. Veracruz is the home of Kahlua. The coffee cherries are handpicked between October and March and processed to extract what is known as the coffee bean. The beans are air dried and the husk is removed. The beans are then aged for six months and prepared for roasting. Meanwhile the sugar cane stalks are crushed and the juice is mixed with molasses, then yeast and water and left to ferment. Once it becomes alcohol the distillation process begins until it gets to proof and then stored in barrels.
After seven years wow! Coffee and Sugarcane meet again, the coffee is roasted and then combined with the sugarcane extract, vanilla and caramel and then left to rest for eight weeks and the filtered and bottled.
FashionMom Fave
1 part Kahlua
2 parts Club Soda
Ice
2 cherries.
In a rocks glass, add ice first, add Kahlua and then Club Soda. Add cherries for one of the most refreshing drinks!
RUM
Demerara Rum Punch
3 Parts Rum
1 part Lime Juice
2 parts Simple Syrup
1 part orange juice
1 part pineapple juice or grated pineapple
2 bottles ginger ale.
2 parts water
Watermelon juice always gives a special kick to a rum punch.
you must, must have a dash of Angostura.
Recommended Rum- XM Royal Rum, aged ten years from Guyana South America or Ten Cane Rum from Trinidad and Tobago. At fine liquor stores everywhere.
RIONDO PROSECCO SPAGO NERO ITALY
The Ginger
2 cups ice
4 oz Absolut Citron vodka
4 oz Grand Marnier
4 oz peach or apricot nectar
1 bottle Prosecco, chilled
I a glass pitcher filled with ice, mix the vodka. Grand Marnier and nectar. Let the mixture chill and allow the flavors to marry for 3 minutes. Strain ice. Add chilled Prosecco. Pour into white wine glasses and serve.
ABSOLUT
Misty Bitch
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Campari
1 lime
splash of pink grapefruit juice
Mix Vodka and Martini in a highball glass.Add fresh lime to taste and top with grapefruit juice.
