Sparkling Wine with St. Germain and Blood Orange Juice

Sometimes I feel like I am ahead of the trend curve and then there are other times when I am running to catch up.  A trend with staying power that is worth chasing down is the craft cocktail movement.  Being a wine lover, I was slow to join.
It all started last year when I was celebrating my daughter’s graduation.  We were out to eat at a favorite restaurant Bistro VG in Roswell, GA.  The cocktail menu and wine list were presented and I was set to order a glass of wine when my sister suggested I try this Champagne cocktail with St. Germain (an elderflower liqueur).  As they say, the rest is history.  I am now a St. Germain fan and I joined the craft cocktail movement. When dining out now, I  actually look at the cocktail menu with great delight and anticipation and order a cocktail and then a glass of wine with my dinner. Having a cocktail is my new ritual.  The “new” craft cocktail movement is about creative and fresh ingredients, it’s fun, exciting, and tasty!
On a recent vacation to Hawaii it was my personal mission to try a new cocktail each day.  So  as we watched the sunset after enjoying a beautiful day, we treated ourselves to a Hawaiian craft cocktail.  If you are planning a trip to Hawaii anytime soon,  don’t miss stopping in for a cocktail at the Monkey Pod in Kapolei or just check out their cocktail menu on line at www.monkeypodkitchen.com for some inspiring cocktails.

Hawaiian Sunset Ritual

To get a little more back ground on the craft cocktail revolution, check out the documentary “Hey Bartender” on Netflix.
While I am no mixologist, I do plan on spending this Valentine’s Day at home for dinner and thought I would create a craft cocktail for this special occasion  My ingredient list includes:   Sparkling Wine, St. Germain and fresh juice from some seasonal blood oranges.  Every cocktail needs a name so since it is for Valentine’s Day I thought I would name it Cupid’s Kiss (LOL). Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Recipe
Cupid’s Kiss

Ingredients
1 part St. Germain
1 part freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Sparkling Wine
Mint leaves and raspberries

Procedure
1.  Using a jigger, measure the St. Germain and blood orange juice.  (I used the larger end and did one part each of St. Germain and blood orange juice.)  Pour the St. Germain and blood orange juice into a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake!
2. Strain off the ice and divide the mixture into a Champagne glass and top off with sparkling wine. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a raspberry.