Bubbly Italian Orange - White Tea - Cranberry Cocktail
Every December, we host an intimate Christmas Eve family gathering. In true holiday spirit this year, I'm offering a special festive cocktail for everyone to enjoy...even the drinkers of the bunch.
I wanted to experiment with the colorful and delish Lyre's Italian Orange as the base - to highlight its brilliant ruby hue and vibrant taste. It's definitely one of our go-to favorites!
If you appreciate Campari, this is such a unique alternative spirit that can be enjoyed on its own (over rocks) or mixed into a sophisticated cocktail. It captures the essence of a bitter Italian aperitivo, with distinct blood orange, red grapefruit, maraschino cherry and pomegranate notes. It has a lovely and rich mouthfeel with a lingering flavor and balanced complexity. Personally, I love it with FeverTree tonics, and find that it pairs really well with sparkling drinks, club soda, etc. for the "Aperol Spritz" effect.
Not everyone appreciates the bitter essence though, so I looked for something that would tone it down a bit and add another layer of flavor without compromising taste. I added Lyre's Aperitif Dry (vermouth-like) for a fresh citrus and herb balance and finished it with TÖST, an all-natural, crisp sparkling white tea, cranberry and ginger bubbly effervescence that is subtly light and sweet. Not to mention, the TÖST bottle design is elegant and worthy of an elevated table display for any occasion. ;-)
Winner! Simple & festive!
What you'll need per glass:
1 oz Lyre's Aperitif Dry
ice cubes
1 orange slice
optional: a small plate & red sugar sprinkles
Give it a whirl!
Use chilled margarita glass (or similar fancy )
Add red sprinkles to a small, flat plate.
Skim glass rim with orange slice and dip it into sprinkles to cover rim.
Add a few ice cubes.
Top with TÖST - enough to keep the drink red.
Stir - add orange slice for garnish
Cheers & Happy Holidays!
Note: If you do not have the Lyre's Aperitif Dry, no problem...just add a squeeze of lemon and it will still be a beautiful drink.
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