Are you thinking of organizing a dinner or a home party? You already have the whole menu planned in your head, but you are missing something to put the icing on the cake. And, suddenly, you come up with a special cocktail… but, which one? The truth is that, for the winter days that are about to come, a mojito or a gin and tonic do not seem like the best option, the first one is more suitable for summer days, and the second one is quite unoriginal. Then, why not elaborate a cocktail that suits this time of the year better?
In this blog post we will share with you two cocktail recipes that are ideal to enjoy in the winter. With intense and comforting flavors to fight the cold, the hot spiced wine and the apple and champagne cocktail will make your winter soirees the most originals of them all. Surprise your guests with these drinks that share many ingredients and that are very easy to make as well. Are you ready to prepare them for your next dinner with your friends or family?
Apple and champagne cocktail
This delicious drink is made to be tasted as a dessert and has a very chic touch if served in a Martini glass with a twist of orange. The combination of a sparkling drink like champagne or cava with the taste of the apple remembers of cider, but with a much more refined and exquisite touch. A safe bet with traditional products that will surprise everyone who tastes it. Keep reading to learn step by step how to prepare it!
Ingredients:
- 300 ml of Apple juice
- 300 ml of cava or champagne
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 orange slices (save some of the peel for decoration!)
- 2 – 3 clove sticks
- 2 star anise seeds
- 1 Martini glass
Instructions to prepare your apple and champagne cocktail:
- Heat all the ingredients, except the cava or champagne, in a saucepan without letting the mix arrive to boiling point. It must be kept on the stove for a minimum of 2 hours so that the flavors of the spices are intensified.
- Let the mix cool down and use a sieve before serving it.
- Once the mix is already in the Martini glass, add the cava or the champagne.
- Decorate with cinnamon sticks, star anise seeds and a twist of orange to give it a festive touch.
Hot spiced wine
This drink is typical of Germany and other central European and Scandinavian countries, where hot wine is always present in outdoors markets and events. Its intense spiced flavor is tonic and very comforting, the essential ally during the cold days. For this reason, if you are thinking of having a party in the middle of winter, you don’t need to renounce to having a good time by the balcony or the garden. Thanks to the hot spiced wine, your guests will enjoy the fresh air without feeling any cold. Below, we describe in detail the recipe step by step, keep reading!
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of dry red wine. Pick your favorite!
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 1 orange, cut in half
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 clove sticks
- 2 star anise seeds
- 1 wide cocktail glass
- Optional for decoration: lemon/orange peel or slice
Instructions to prepare your hot spiced wine:
- Mix all the ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan. Wine, spices, orange and sugar, all together at the same time.
- Set the stove at medium-high temperature, watching that the mix does not arrive at boiling point because the alcohol will evaporate otherwise.
- Set the stove at low-medium temperature and keep it under boiling point for, at least, 15 minutes and up to 3 hours. The more time the mix is on the stove, the more intense its flavor will be.
- Filter the mix to separate the wine from the other ingredients and serve it in a wide glass. Decorate it with cinnamon sticks, star anise seeds and a slice of lemon or orange, to your taste!
Do you feel like tasting one of these winter cocktails? Dare to prepare them! As you can see, there are no big secrets in its elaboration and they share many ingredients. We used our products, included in our gift baskets, like champagne and red wine. The best idea for your winter parties, success is guaranteed! Do you know more recipes of winter cocktails? We want to know them all, please leave them in our commentary section.