PLUM BLOSSOM
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 oz (30 ml) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz (30 ml) plum wine, preferably Nakano Umé
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 oz (60 ml) sparkling wine
long lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass with ice, stir St-Germain, plum wine and lemon juice. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a long coil of lemon zest.
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CRISP, WHITE SANGRIA
Ingredients
Serves 1
2 cups (500 ml) white grape juice, divided
¼ cup (60 ml) berry sugar
1 bunch fresh mint
1 x 750 ml bottle dry white wine
1½ cups (375 ml) unsweetened apple juice
1 lime, juice only
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) seedless green grapes, halved
1 x 750 ml bottle soda water, chilled
1 green apple, cored, cut into thin wedges
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup (250 ml) white grape juice and berry sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and stir in 2 mint sprigs. Bring to room temperature.
- In a glass jug or container large enough to hold 8 cups (2 L), combine cooled and remaining grape juice with several more sprigs of mint, wine, apple juice and lime juice. Refrigerate overnight for flavours to meld.
- When ready to serve, remove mint sprigs. Place several lime wedges in a sangria pitcher. Add half the grapes and a couple mint sprigs.
- Pour half the sangria mixture into pitcher and top with chilled soda water.
- Serve sangria over ice in cocktail glasses, garnish with lime and apple wedges and a sprig of mint. Makes about 10 cups (2.5 L)
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KOHANA (LITTLE FLOWER)
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 oz (30 ml) Bulleit rye
1 oz (30 ml) Takara Plum wine
¼ oz (7 ml) Ardbeg 10-year-old Scotch
½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) hibiscus syrup
1 egg white
2 dashes Bittered Sling Plum and Root Beer bitters
hibiscus flower, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake without ice. Add ice and shake again after egg white has been emulsified. Fine strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a hibiscus flower.
- To make HIBISCUS SYRUP: In a saucepan over low heat, mix 2 cups (500 ml) sugar to 2 cups (500 ml) water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of dried hibiscus flowers. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out flowers and allow mixture to cool before using.
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AUSTRIAN RED WINE PUNCH
Ingredients
Serves 18 to 20
2 cups (500 ml) hot, strong black tea
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
8 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise pods
½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
¾ cup (175 ml) orange juice
2 bottles (2 x 750 ml) full-bodied red wine
1 cup (250 ml) aged rum
lemon and orange slices, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium-high heat, combine freshly brewed tea with sugar, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add lemon and orange juice and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or so, then add red wine and rum, and cook for 5 more minutes, until heated through.
- Strain out cloves and cinnamon stick and either ladle punch into mugs or pour into a heatproof punch bowl and let guests serve themselves. Serve hot with fresh lemon or orange slices.
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APPLE TIME
Ingredients
Serves 1
2 large thyme sprigs, divided
¾ oz (22 ml) Père Magloire Calvados
1 oz (30 ml) Apple Cinnamon Cordial (make ahead, recipe follows)
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
3 oz (90 ml) Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Reserve Brut
APPLE CINNAMON CORDIAL:
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups (500 ml) unsweetened apple juice
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
Instructions
- Gently bruise one sprig of thyme and combine in a mixing glass with ice, calvados, cordial and lemon juice. Stir until chilled and fine strain into a Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Gently bruise reserved sprig of thyme and lower into glass to garnish.
- To make APPLE CINNAMON CORDIAL: Break cinnamon sticks into a few pieces and combine with apple juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce apple juice by half to yield 1 cup (250 ml), approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the larger pieces of cinnamon and strain through a coffee filter to remove all particulates.
- Rinse saucepan and combine the apple-cinnamon mixture with sugar. Simmer to dissolve. Store refrigerated, up to 1 month. Makes 1¼ cup (310 ml).
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SAGE NORTH
Ingredients
Serves 1
¾ oz (22 ml) Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
1 oz (30 ml) Sage Honey (make ahead, recipe follows)
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 oz (60 ml) freshly squeezed ruby grapefruit juice, strained
2 oz (60 ml) Chamdeville Brut
1 large sage sprig, for garnish
SAGE HONEY:
2 large sage sprigs
½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
⅔ cup (150 ml) unpasteurized honey
Instructions
- Combine rye, Sage Honey, lemon and grapefruit juice in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Gently bruise a sprig of sage and lower into glass to garnish.
- To make SAGE HONEY: In saucepan, add sage to boiling water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove sage and measure ⅓ cup (75 ml) of Sage Water. Set aside.
- Gently heat honey to thin it out and make it esier to work with. Combine Sage Water with warm honey and stir to dissolve. Store refrigerated, up to 1 month. Makes 1 cup (250 ml).
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PETIOLE
Ingredients
Serves 1
¾ oz (22 ml) Hendrick’s Gin
1½ oz (45 ml) Rhubarb Cordial (make ahead, recipe follows)
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 oz (60 ml) Segura Viudas Brut Rosado
lime zest, for garnish
RHUBARB CORDIAL:
1¼ cup (310 ml) water
1¼ cup (310 ml) sugar
4 cups (1 L) frozen rhubarb, cubed
2 slices fresh ginger, peeled
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice
Instructions
- Combine gin, cordial and lemon juice in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lime zest.
- To make RHUBARB CORDIAL: In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, rhubarb, ginger and both the juice and zest of the orange and lemon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer and press pulp to extract liquid. Strain a second time through a coffee filter, changing filter as needed. Store refrigerated, up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups (500 ml).
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POINSETTIA SPICE
Ingredients
Serves 1
¾ oz (22 ml) Marquis de Villard VSOP Brandy
1½ oz (45 ml) Spiced Cranberry Cordial (make ahead, recipe follows)
¾ oz (22 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 oz (60 ml) Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
1 rosemary sprig, for garnish
SPICED CRANBERRY CORDIAL:
1½ cups (375 ml) warm water
4 tea bags of Organic Chai Tea (such as Tazo)
3 cups (750 ml) fresh cranberries, halved
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
Instructions
- Combine brandy, cordial and lemon juice in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Gently bruise a sprig of rosemary and lower into glass to garnish.
- To make SPICED CRANBERRY CORDIAL: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine water, tea bags and cut cranberries. Stir frequently and adjust heat to maintain only a simmer until cranberries have completely softened, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. It is important to use low heat throughout the process, to prevent pectin from being activated.
- Strain through a fine strainer and press berries and tea bags to extract liquid. Strain a second time through a coffee filter, changing filter as needed. Filtration will take up to 30 minutes. Rinse the saucepan and combine cranberry/tea mixture with sugar. Simmer to dissolve. Store refrigerated, up to 1 month. Makes about 1¼ cup (310 ml).
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ELDERFLOWER & BUBBLE
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 oz (30 ml) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz (30 ml) plum wine, preferably Nakano Umé
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 oz (60 ml) sparkling wine
long lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass with ice, stir St-Germain, plum wine and lemon juice. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a long coil of lemon zest.
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SPARKLING MOROCCAN TEA
Ingredients
Serves
1 oz (30 ml) Bombay Sapphire gin
1½ oz (45 ml) Moroccan Mint Green Tea*
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained
2 oz (60 ml) Cupcake Prosecco, to top
1 mint leaf, for garnish
Instructions
- *For Moroccan Mint Green Tea: In a saucepan, add 2 tbsp (30 ml) Green Tea and 8 tbsp (120 ml) sugar to 3 cups (750 ml) boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup (250 ml) mint leaves. Steep another 5 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter into a glass bottle. Chill before using.
- In a mixing glass, stir gin, Moroccan Mint Green Tea and lemon juice with ice. Strain into a flute and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a mint leaf.