bring on the bubbly

Only FOUR more days until the most wonderful time of the year!  Do you know what that means? Lots of laughter, great food, and an abundance of bubbly! Seriously though… no holiday is complete without a delicious cocktail.  Below are some delightful drinks that I will be sure to create in the very (very) near future. Oh and p.s. a glamorous champagne glass only increases the flavor. Trust me.

Peppermint White Christmas Champagne Cocktail by Leah Bergman (freutcake)

Instructions:

1 bottle chilled Champagne

White Creme de Cocoa

candy canes

Directions:
1. In a ziplock bag, crush 1 whole candy cane with a rolling-pin or something sturdy until you are left with a semi fine powder.
2. Dip the rims of your champagne flutes in a small dish of White Creme de Cocoa and then in the crushed candy cane.
3. Fill champagne glasses 1/3 full with White Creme de Cocoa and then the rest of the way with chilled Champagne.
4. Garnish with a whole candy cane. (this adds color and flavor to the cocktail!)
5. Sip & enjoy. *Reindeer antlers strongly suggested.

The Champagne Etoile by Cassandra Lavalle (coco+kelley)

adjust accordingly to number of guests

Instructions:

1 cup sugar (or 3/4 cup agave)

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Bourbon of your liking (we used OOLA) 

Prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled

Lemons, cut into wedges

Directions:

For one cocktail, add a shot of bourbon and two tablespoons vanilla bean syrup to a chilled champagne flute. Fill to the top with prosecco. Squeeze lemon juice into glass and drop rind in. Serve.

Mango Raspberry Bellini by Sarah Yates (a house in the hills)

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup frozen mango

1 tablespoon coconut sugar or other sweetener

1 large bottle of champagne

water

Method: 

1. Combine raspberries, mango, coconut sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of champagne in a blender and blend until smooth (add additional water if needed)

 2. Scoop 2 tablespoons of mango raspberry mixture into a champagne glass and mix with champagne (you can add more or less to your taste preference!)

 3. Serve immediately, with raspberries (frozen or fresh) to garnish.

Blueberry Basil Rose Crush Cocktail by Melissa (yours truly)

Ingredients:

10 fresh blueberries

3 fresh basil leaves

½ oz. St. Germain

Sparkling rosé

Instructions:

1. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker lightly muddle 5 blueberries and 2 basil leaves with St. Germain.
2. Transfer mixture carefully to a champagne flute.
3. Top with rosé bubbly, add remaining blueberries and garnish with 1 basil leaf.
4. Cheers!
5. NOTE: Don’t be alarmed if your blueberries float, then sink and then float again, this is the fun part! Adding blueberries to beer or champagne creates a negative buoyancy where the bubbles attach to the blueberries to lift them up. When the bubbles pop the berry is heavier than the liquid once more.