Wine and brandy, fruits of the vine, can be mixed with fruit juices and alcoholic drinks to create luxury cocktails. For strong, yet mellow cocktails, such as Between the Sheets and Comforting Tiger use brandy as the base ingredient. For lighter, more summery cocktails such as Sparkling Camp Grenada, Smooth Operator and Quick Thrill use red, white or sparkling wine.
Sparkling Camp Grenada
This is a variation on the Camp Grenada cocktail, but using sparkling white wine or Prosecco instead of the soda. It is a refreshing cocktail with plenty of zest.
- 1 and a half measures of Campari
- A half measure of grenadine
- 2 measures of grapefruit juice
- 1 measure of pineapple juice
- 3 measures of Prosecco or sparkling white wine
- Seasonal Fruit
Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in the grapefruit and pineapple juices. Add the grenadine and Campari and shake well. Strain into an ice filled tall glass and top up with the sparkling wine or Prosecco.
Between the Sheets
A classic cocktail, reputedly from the famous “Harry’s New York Bar” in Paris, this is a smooth summer drink combing the mellow taste of cognac with the distinctive aroma of rum.
- 1 and a half measures of brandy
- 1 measure of white rum
- 1 measure of Cointreau
- A half measure of lemon juice
- 1 twist of lemon
Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in the brandy, rum, Cointreau and lemon juice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the twist of lemon.
Smooth Operator
A simple to make, low alcohol content cocktail, this combines the tangy flavor of ginger ale with the crispness of cool white wine.
- 2 measures of cold dry white wine
- 2 measures of dry ginger ale
- 1 teaspoon of lime juice
- 1 slice of lime
Pour 3 or four ice cubes in an old fashioned glass. Pour in the two measures of wine. Add the ginger ale and the lime juice. Decorate with a slice of lime.
Comforting Tiger
This is a cocktail combining the smoothness of brandy with the mellow flavors of Southern Comfort. It is simple to make, smooth but with a strong alcoholic kick, hence the tiger in its name.
- 2 measures of brandy
- A half measure of Southern Comfort.
- 1 teaspoon of rosso vermouth
- 1 lemon twist
Half fill a mixing glass with crushed ice. Pour in the rosso vermouth, brandy and Southern Comfort. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the lemon twist as decoration.
Quick Thrill
For a quick, refreshing cocktail, Quick Thrill is an ideal summer cocktail.
- 3 measures of red wine
- A half measure of dark rum
- 3 measures of cola
Simply put some ice cubes in a goblet, and pour in the wine and rum. Top up with cola.
Cocktails made with wine, especially sparkling wine, give a smooth taste and unlike gin based cocktails, allow the flavors of other ingredients to come to the fore. They also have the advantage of being light in alcoholic content and are therefore ideal for summer cocktails. Brandy cocktails on the other hand tend to be mellow, yet with a strong alcoholic kick, making them perfect after dinner cocktails.
Laurence O'Sullivan - Larry O'Sullivan, Irish short story and freelance Article writer now living in Thailand. I am Irish, 55 years old and am now living in ...
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