Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will Impress
Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will Impress
The following Article was Written By David Kline
Tripping Vittles is proud to have David writing an article today about Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will Impress. Using his 40+years in the Hospitality Industry combined with his personal passions for food, wine cocktails adding in history , theater and music. David embodies what Tripping Vittles is.
OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
It’s that time of year again when opportunities for reflection, revision and resolution, subtle and obvious, present themselves to us and can scarcely be ignored. Here are Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will impress your guests over the Holiday and will keep you warm and toasty all winter long. Visiting over the long holidays with friends and family typically involves recurring dining and drinking experiences during which old memories are remembered and new ones are created.
It’s easy to get caught up in the swirl of holiday activities (you know, all that dining…and drinking) and not take a little time for yourself. It’s so easy to stay on maximum fun drive without pause for a little introspection. But all good things come to an end as surely as all good things must at some point begin. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’re quickly approaching the date where we end one year and begin a new one. At the precipice of what was and could have been and what could be and will be….
Who said that had to be a solemn occasion? Not me! As you look back at 2018 and you slowly shift your gaze to the great unknown of 2019. I am your faithful and empathetic enabler I sense your yearning for year’s end libations that will inspire you, intrigue you, amuse you, affect you, beseech you and beguile you. I’ve got you covered with Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will Impress and have you sipping into 2019. Read on, dear thirsty reader, read on….
SPARKLING WINES MAKE ANY COCKTAIL SPARKLE
The possibilities were endless, believe me. Often I find that when I’m faced with too many creative drink choices I narrow the field by use of a theme. (Okay, admittedly, I sometimes just capitulate and just try all the creative drink choices – another story for another time!) In this case I opted for choice “A” and went with a theme and that theme is appropriately: sparkling wine. I mean was the choice really that hard? Not so much. The challenge here was to create 3 very different and unique sparkling wine cocktails to give you, 3 very different (though very easy to make) New Year’s Eve experiences.
A quick note on sparkling wines. So many choices and so little time! Practically every country that makes still wine makes some type of sparkling wine, too. The minutiae are massive, but in the simplest terms a winemaker creates a sparkling wine in which bubbles develop in the bottle or the sparkling wine develops its bubbles in a tank & that wine is then bottled. (So that’s the classic Méthode Champenoise vs. Méthode Charmat, and there’s a third, Méthode Crémant, for those of you playing along at home.) Winemaker, region, soil, grapes, weather, finances, consumer, fate and God play a role in the process. The majority of these wines, especially of those available in the American market are labeled Brut (dry) or Extra Dry (not as dry as Brut).
SPARKLING WINE DOES NOT HAVE TO BREAK YOUR BANK
Everybody’s got a favorite, a small budget or both! To each his/her own, I say. Do I turn a coquettish Champagne away? Oh, hell no! That said, sometimes the preference, the budget, the food, the availability, the occasion, the company, the wine list and the application mean that Champagne isn’t the first choice and since there is such a fantastic world of sparkling wine to choose from at any price from almost any country, you can’t lose. As you peruse the shelves in the sparkling wine section of your local retailer, in addition to American options you will find eager, proud and deserving wines labeled Prosecco, Franciacorta, Cava, and Sekt, sitting side by side with their Champagne buddies. That’s just for starters – there’s a whole other delicious world of sweeter sparkling wines like Moscato d’Asti, Brachetto d’Acqui, Lambrusco (off-dry to sweet), and sparkling Icewine, to name a few.
Four New Years Eve Cocktails that will Impress
The First three cocktails contain three different sparkling wines. Quaffable, jewel-toned, accessible and spritzy; you’ll find I’ve shaken up the presentations using a flute for only one of the drinks. I chose the wines and the brands of liquors/liqueurs based on preference and their impact on the drink. Feel free to substitute any sparkler that makes you sparkle. I give it to you & when you make it the drink becomes your drink done your way. Your personal palate preferences will play into your perceptions as always. Few cocktail recipes are set in stone. If you find one of the drinks too dry/sweet tweak it! If it fills your glass too much or not enough tweak it! You’re the one making it, drinking it and sharing it with your friends so enjoy it as you like. The fourth cocktail is a bonus for those that just do not like the bubbly.
GOODBYE OLD 2018 & HELLO NEW 2019
Well, there you have it my friends. Another year gone by and As you enjoy one or more of the cocktails take a moment to think about the many good things in your life. How you got them and who you share them with. Build on the past, prepare for the future and make 2019 what you want it to be. Eat and drink well on December 31st and throughout the New Year. I can tell you from experience that the more new food, wine and drink you try the more new friends you make! Whatever your plans are for the rest of the year please consume responsibly, think first of your friends, family and strangers and be good to yourself. I’ll be doing the same. Now go on, enjoy these drinks and the holidays. We’ll catch up in January. I’m sure I’ll come up with something to share…DK
A Note from Tripping Vittles
There are many things coming in 2019 from Tripping Vittles. I wanted to personally thank all my followers and readers for the support in 2018. I cannot wait for you to see what’s coming! While you are waiting to see what is next take a look at one of my favorite winter posts from Last year Worlds Best Hot Chocolate
The following is a list of items that will make life a little easier when making the great cocktails David created. [amazon_link asins=’B01CQBX9VC,B004X7BTPG,B079KZHXG8,B010KPESWU’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’trippingvittl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7e90e387-086e-11e9-a303-1bd235521aa2′]