Tips and tricks of cocktails for parties, meals, or just relaxation with Mixologist Jeremy Parsons.

Cool New Drinks for Any Celebration

Well, the holiday season has just finished but there are always great moments to celebrate with champagne and sparkling wine! In this article, I am going to suggest that you don't just make the usual mimosas or straight up champagne, but get a little more creative with all of the wonderful juices and new liqueurs that work amazingly well with a little bubbly!

Forget the OJ and use organic passion fruit or mango juice in your mimosas for a little fun on a weekend morning! Add finely diced strawberry pieces as a garnish and watch them travel up and down in your glass with the bubbles. This is a simple way to freshen up an old favorite. One thing to remember is that there are various brands of mango and passion fruit juice in the marketplace so you may have to pick up a few different ones to find the flavour and consistency that you like the best.

There are 2 amazing new products that blend perfectly with champagne: Hpnotiq (a vodka, cognac and passion fruit liqueur) and Palladium Grappa Chardonnay Strawberry liqueur. Pour a chilled ounce of either liqueur in a champagne flute and add 3 ounces of champagne on top for a beautiful taste sensation that I guarantee will make your taste buds dance. No garnish is needed for either drink, the flavour comes out enough on its own.

When serving champagne cocktails, always add the champagne as a float to the drink which means shake and mix everything else and pour before you add the champagne or sparkling wine. The flavour of the bubbly is so delicate it should be savored with each sip which a float allows you to do. As you drink, each sip will allow the right proportion of the pre-mixed ingredients in the body to the champagne or sparkling wine floating at the top. Mango martinis are an excellent example of a drink that can be totally changed with a champagne float. The natural flavours will fuse together to bring out all of the nuances in the products used.

Be leery of garnishes since many fruits will sour the flavour of the float and besides, a nice champagne or sparkling wine will add enough pizzazz to the glass. Orange wheels or fruit skewers aren't needed to impress once the cork is popped!

Jeremy's Pick: Mango Martini

1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Sour Raspberry Liqueur
2 oz Passion fruit juice
1 oz Mango juice
1 oz Champagne or Sparkling Wine Float

Jeremy J. Parsons is the founder and owner of Cocktails the Fluid Experience, a Toronto-based beverage marketing and event management company that specializes in the alcohol industry. Jeremy creates new cocktails and martini recipes for many of the top brands in Canada. His work has taken him nationally to consult, launch and execute parties at some of the top restaurants, bars and galas where he and his staff bring out the latest and greatest liquid creations for your sampling pleasure. For more information on Jeremy and the services that he and his company provide please log on to www.beerchill.com or call them directly at 416.466.DRNK (3765).