Featured Post- Be Creative With Your Champagne
Champagne has long been the companion to special moments and selecting the right one can often seem impossible with so many goodies to choose from.
Whether you love champagne by itself or only drink it on Christmas Day in your Bucks Fizz, with a good champagne cocktail it is possible to create a scrumptious drink to suit everyone’s taste buds.
A sweet summer treat: If you’re hosting a summer party why not try a watermelon keg filled with a fruity champagne
cocktail?
A watermelon keg is a wonderful way to present your drinks as well as a talking point for your guests to enjoy.
Making a yummy watermelon champagne cocktail is pretty simple if you gather together the following ingredients, and pour your best flaring skills into whipping up a refreshing summer treat.
770g of watermelon
60g crushed mint leaves
120ml of vanilla infused vodka (chilled)
60ml Triple Sec
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
850mls (a bottle of) champagne or sparkling wine
How to:
Blend the watermelon until smooth, strain the liquid and measure out half a litre of the juice.
Add your mint and stir, then leave to chill for half an hour.
Add the vodka, lime and triple sec with one cup of ice and stir vigorously, remove the mint leaves and fill the glasses with ice. Pour the watermelon mixture into the keg and gradually stir in the champagne.
The keg itself:
Wash the watermelon under cool running water and dry, place it on its side and cut up to half an inch off both ends. Be careful not to cut too deep into the rind as one end is to provide the base.
Use a marker (preferably green) to make a thick band around the upper third and lower third of the watermelon, and use a knife to make grooves along this line.
Scoop out the contents of the watermelon with a spoon or ice cream scoop (you could use the watermelon for your cocktail), leaving roughly 2 inches of watermelon at the bottom of the fruit so the spigot can be placed within. Insert the spigot using an apple corer to make a hole through the rind 2 inches up from the base.
Champagne is a perfect drink to accompany a summer evening; it’s cool, refreshing, deliciously bubbly and there’s no harm in jazzing up your flute with a splash of fruity puree.
Festive fizz
We’ve explored a yummy way to freshen up your champagne for the summer months, but there are some rather lovely ways to give your fizz a twist all year round.
Champagne punch
Punch is perfect for all seasons as you can easily adjust your mixers to give it a suitable twist. For instance, at Christmas a champagne pomegranate punch is a delicious concoction perfect to get the taste buds tingling; mix together the below ingredients minus the champagne, then slowly add your champagne of choice stirring as you go.
355ml pomegranate juice
236ml pear nectar
59ml orange liqueur
1 bottle champagne
The beauty of the pomegranate is that it’s the right colour and smell to get you ready for the holiday season, as well as a fruit full of character and flavour that won’t overpower your senses into oblivion, making it a wonderful all-rounder.
Perfect champagne for special occasions
When you are drinking a beautiful champagne you can appreciate it’s individuality, and this is probably one of the times when you won’t want to add anything to your drink, but simply swoon in its elegance. Mark an event with something extraordinary, whether you’re celebrating the accomplishment of a loved one, an engagement or making an evening with your nearest and dearest an extra special one; having the perfect champagne chilled and at the ready can top everything off.
Laurent Perrier Rose
The classic go-to champagne for many who enjoy a decent tipple but don’t want to break the bank; although Laurent Perrier rose champagne is clearly no everyday wine. This flavoursome champagne is easy to appreciate with its rich colour, taste of summer fruits and a hint of citrus, as the world’s best selling champagne it is difficult to go wrong with the gorgeously packaged saignee rose.
Bollinger
Famous for being James Bond’s champagne of choice, the bubbly has been quaffed in many Bond movies following its first appearance in the book Diamonds are Forever. A symbol of impeccable taste and true class, Bollinger champagne comes with a great complexity and elegance, where the perfectly balanced flavours and soft mousse work together to create a truly exceptional house style that is globally appreciated.
Krug’s Grand Cuvee
Saving the best until last (in my opinion), the show-stopping Grand Cuvee was born of one of the foremost houses of Champagne. Krug always far surpasses its incredible reputation with its blend of vintage bases dating back 160 years, this completely sublime, powerful champagne will complement any event by adding glamour and the true feel for the finer things in life.
These all look brilliant,I will try the watermelon one for my garden party in a couple of weeks!