Bubbly is perfect for the holidays! But did you know that it is so easy to add a little extra to your champagne flute to make your holiday bubbly extra special? Yes, you can measure out the cocktail ingredients for the champagne sidecar or the Elderflower French 75 (and I encourage you to!). But a really simple way to make your champagne flutes sparkle is to add a touch of cordial to your glass first. Each cordial imparts a different color and flavor that enhances the taste of champagne and livens up your party! So now that I’ve highlighted various spirits in my weekly tastings, from cognac and Tennessee whiskey to dark rum and gin, I figured we should kick off the post-Thanksgiving holiday rush with some bubbly. Here’s how to make some easy holiday bubbly cocktails with cordials!
Let me start by assuring you that yes, you can use prosecco in your holiday bubbly cordial cocktails! An expensive champagne, like a fine rum or scotch, should really be enjoyed on its own. A light and fresh prosecco, with just the right amount of sweetness and fruit flavors, is the perfect bubbly topping for these cordial cocktails. For this week’s tasting, I’m highlighting La Vostra Prosecco, which has a 90 rating from Beverage Dynamics. La Vostra, which means “Yours” in English, is a family-owned vineyard that has been crafting excellent prosecco since the 1950s. The light-bodied sparkling wine is fresh, smooth, and approachable, with flavor notes of green apple, white peach, and honey. It’s easy to drink and meshes well with all of the cordials recommended here.
For a GREEN cocktail, I recommend a splash of Mr. Stacks Sweet Melon schnapps! This American-made liqueur has a balanced, refreshing style with delicious honeydew melon flavor and a sweet finish. Very festive!
For a RED cocktail, how about a splash of Pataka Pomegranate Liqueur? This all-natural fruit liqueur is made with Fairtrade-certified pomegranate from Uzbekistan, slowly extracted and distilled in Cognac, France. The pomegranate gives this liqueur a rich and fruity flavor that is balanced between subtly tart and sweet. It marries beautifully with the prosecco.
For a BLUE cocktail, try blue curaçao, either Mr. Stacks Blue Curaçao or Drillaud’s Blue Curaçao! Blue curaçao gives a lovely citrus orange flavor to the bubbly. The Mr. Stacks blue curaçao is a balanced, sweeter version, while the Drillaud’s blue curaçao is more complex and refined, but both give those beautiful notes of orange peel and citrus.
And for a NATURAL-COLORED champagne cocktail with an extra twist, consider adding Drillaud’s Elderflower Liqueur. As I previously extolled when discussing my Elderflower French 75 recipe, this liqueur imparts sweetness along with gorgeous notes of floral elderflower and fruity lychee to any drink. It’s lovely on its own and enhances the natural sweetness of the prosecco to create a special toast.
Holiday sweater #2 of the season: “That’s what I do: I drink and I know things” (oh, Tyrion!)
Hot tip! Any of these cocktails would look (and taste) great with a sugar rim, like my Midnight Kiss champagne cocktail, pictured below. Note as well that you can give any of these cocktails a bit more kick by adding in a splash of vodka—the smoother, the better. Velo Vodka, a women-owned business in Boston, Massachusetts, distills its vodka five times, creating a lovely smooth and refreshing taste. Cheers!
Pictured: The Midnight Kiss cocktail with sugar rim, from Mixology with Jocelyn