by Fiona Muller
A glass of chilled white wine is something that is made for summer. However sometimes you want a change of drink but not because you want anything stronger, rather because it is nice to drink something different. If you are a wine fan there are lots of things to choose from but why not make this summer extra special and experiment with wine cocktails?
Wine cocktails can be as simple as a Spritzer. Below is a range of cocktails that you can try out on your friends – just remember to make sure you start with a decent bottle of wine. Just because you are mixing it with other things doesn’t mean that you can use cheap nasty wine as a base!
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine makes a great base for a cocktail. Mix with orange juice for the classic bucks fizz or take a look at some of these classics
Classic Champagne cocktail
3 oz Champagne
1/3 oz cognac
2 dashes Angostura® bitters
1 tsp sugar
Soak one sugar cube in a champagne flute with angostura bitters. Add champagne and cognac. Squeeze in a twist of lemon and discard. Garnish with half a slice of orange.
Rose Wine
For a bit of a twist on a cocktail, why not use a rose as a base. Slightly sweeter than white wine it makes a yummy cocktail
Purple Plague recipe
1 1/2 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur
4 oz White wine
3 splashes 7-Up® soda
Mix zinfandel with Chambord and add 7-up. Serve on ice.
Red wine
There is of course the classic mulled wine but as now is summer here is a classic red wine cocktail that will make the summer go by in a nice haze (but only if you overdo it)
Burgundy Bubbler
1 oz Burgundy wine
4 oz ginger ale
Pour both ingredients over ice in a large wine glass. Garnish with slices of lemon, lime and orange, and serve.
White wine
There is of the course the traditional spritzer – or you could be more adventurous and make a fruit cup…. I think that this recipe makes a great cocktail for watching the day go by as you sit in a chair in the garden with very little to do (sounds like a good idea to me!)
Ash blond
3 oz White wine
1 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1 splash sweet vermouth
Shake wine and cointreau together with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Add splash of vermouth for colour.
Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. For a range of wines to make cocktails with go to laithwaites.co.uk
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