June 27, 2014

Fourth of July Cocktail Couture: Pomegranate-Aperol Royale!

Kick off your Summer soirée in style with a very special Fourth of July Cocktail - the Pomegranate-Aperol Royale! This super patriotic drink is a mixture of sparkling wine, Aperol and pomegranate juice garnished with fresh raspberries. It's incredibly tasty and features Fourth of July's signature red, white and blue colors.Aperol is a delicious Italian liqueur with a distinct, bright orange color that calls to mind a fabulous, fiery South Florida sunset. It was created by the Barbieri brothers from Italy's Veneto region and introduced to Italians at the International Fair of Padua in 1919. Aperol is an infusion of ingredients including bitter and sweet orange and a variety of carefully selected herbs and roots. The result is a delightful concoction which is simultaneously sweet, bitter and herbal. This Italian liqueur is similar to Campari, but not quite as bitter. So for those who find Campari a little too intense, Aperol is an excellent alternative.Our featured sparkling wine for our Fourth of July cocktail is the Limited Edition Chandon Blanc de Noirs Brut ($20). The festive red, white and blue bottle will make a stylish addition to your holiday soirée! This sparkler is made from two red grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier but since the juice is separated from the grape skins, it retains its pale yellow, translucent color. This sparkler is fruit-driven and full-flavored and made in the same method as Champagne, methode traditionnelle. Feel free to enjoy it on its own or as part of our fabulous Fourth of July cocktail.So kick off your party in patriotic style with the Pomegranate-Aperol Royale! The Limited Edition Chandon Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine is available for a limited time and makes the perfect Fourth of July Cocktail accessory. We'd also like to wish you a fabulous (and safe) Fourth of July weekend - to view other installments of Cocktail Couture, please click here!Cheers, Signature Cocktail Couture: Fourth of July Pomegranate-Aperol Royale! Recipe Type: Cocktail Author: Stephanie Miskew | The Glamorous Gourmet Serves: 1 cocktail Ingredients

1 bottle of Chandon Limited Edition Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine
Aperol
Pomegranate juice
Blue sugar**
1 lime
Frozen raspberries

Instructions

Put the blue sugar in a saucer or small, shallow dish. Squeeze the juice of one lime into a similar saucer or small, shallow dish. Dip the rim of the Champagne flute first into the lime juice and then immediately into the blue sugar to coat the rim evenly. Shake loose any excess.
Add one frozen raspberry to the bottom of a flute. Pour equal amounts Aperol and pomegranate juice so together they occupy 1/4 of the glass. Gently pour the chilled sparkling wine to fill the rest of the glass. Pouring gently increases the chance of keeping the red and white layers separate. Enjoy!

Notes **To make blue sugar for the rim, add a half cup of regular sugar to a container with a tight fitting lid. Add approximately 3-5 drops of blue food coloring to the sugar in the container, fasten the lid and shake vigorously until all the sugar is colored blue. You can always add more food coloring if you feel the blue isn't dark enough, just be sure to shake it really well to evenly distribute the color. 3.5.3208