Bubbly, sweet and a tiny bit sour, this cocktail is an alcoholic version of a raspberry-lime rickey. When I lived in DC, my friends and I spent a whole winter drinking Kir Royales – which I mistakenly believed was made from sparkling wine and raspberry liqueur (it’s actually sparkling wine and blackberry liqueur). I was hankering for a Kir Royale and decided to make it with raspberry liqueur, but it needed something more. Lime juice makes this cocktail just a bit tart and tones down the sweetness of the wine and liqueur. This would make a perfect cocktail for both New Year’s Eve or your New Year’s brunch.
Sparkling Rickey (1 drink):
4 oz of sparkling wine
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp raspberry liqueur
Pour 4 oz of sparkling wine in a champagne glass. Add lime juice and raspberry liqueur. Stir gently with spoon. Garnish with a slice of lime. Enjoy (responsibly)!
My favorite part of the holiday season is sitting in my living room with the lights out and the Christmas tree glowing. This cocktail is perfect for sitting in front of the Christmas tree whether you are writing out Christmas cards, wrapping gifts or sitting in front of the fire listening to Christmas carols. I saw this version of Hot Buttered Rum in the current issue of Cooking Light and decided to give it a whirl, making my own changes along the way of course. And I have a confession to make. I made my own butter for this recipe and a few more recipes that will be published in the very near future. It was super easy, very fun and the results were amazing! (You can find instructions on how to do this here and here) Enjoy!
Hot Buttered Rum (Serves 4):
1 & 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 (2 inch) piece of lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (found in the spice aisle)
1 cup dark rum
1 tbsp butter
In small sauce pan, combine water, sugar, vanilla bean paste and lemon rind. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once mixture comes to a boil, immediately remove pan from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Add rum and butter, return pan to medium-high heat, whisk until butter is completely melted. Serve immediately.
