Receta Ringing the New Year in with a Juniper Champagne Cocktail
Are you hosting a New Year’s Eve party this year and looking for something different besides the same old sparkling wine at midnight? Check out this simple syrup infused with juniper berries cocktail. It gives a citrusy-green note to a glass of bubbly. Plus the fragrant swizzle stick of pine plays right along with the festive mood!
This Juniper Champagne Cocktail is one of the great entertaining ideas for your New Year’s party in this month’s December/January 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living.
This Mama’s tips
You can lower the calories in this champagne cocktail by using a sugar free vanilla coffee syrup instead of using a simple syrup. It also saves the time and hassle and making a simple syrup!
Make sure to collect fresh pine springs from trees outdoors for the swizzle sticks. They should be unsprayed, washed and thoroughly dried. To quickly dry the sprigs, put them in a warm (not hot) oven – with the heat off – for 10 to 15 minutes.
To crush the juniper berries, place them in a heavy duty freezer ziplock bag, close it shut, cover with a dish towel, place on a wooden cutting board, and pulverize them with a wooden rolling pin or meat tenderizing mallet!
Juniper Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup juniper berries, crushed
- 1 (750 ml) bottle dry sparkling wine, such as Prosecco
Pine sprigs, for serving
Directions
Bring sugar, water, and juniper berries to a simmer in a pot, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 week.
For each cocktail, combine 3 tablespoons juniper syrup with 1/2 cup sparkling wine in a glass. Garnish with a pine sprig and serve immediately.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
Photograph by Marcus Nilsson. Recipe and photo used with permission.