We’re sharing our favorite recipes for seasonal sips, perfect for New Year’s Eve celebrations, holiday hosting, or mixing up something special at home.
Pippin Poinsettia
(Skill Level: Easy)
Ingredients
- 3 ½–4 oz Sparkling Rosé
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- Optional: ½ oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur
- Recommended garnish: sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions
- Pour the cranberry juice (optional: add the orange liqueur) into a champagne flute.
- Top with sparkling rosé, leaving a pinky-width gap below the rim of the glass.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary. Serve and enjoy!
Spiced Citrus Spritz
(Skill Level: Intermediate)
Ingredients
- 2 oz spiced orange tea syrup (recipe to follow)
- 2 oz Fever-Tree sparkling grapefruit soda
- 3–4 oz Petit Manseng
- Optional: 1 oz Deep Eddy’s grapefruit vodka or spiced rum
- Recommended garnish: cinnamon stick and/or dried orange
Directions
- Pour the Petit Manseng (optional: add grapefruit vodka or spiced rum) into a wine glass.
- Add the spiced orange tea syrup and stir.
- Add ice, top with sparkling grapefruit soda, and gently mix to blend, if desired.
- Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
Celebration Punch Spritz
(Skill Level: Advanced)
Ingredients
- 2 oz strawberry ginger shrub (recipe to follow)
- 1 oz lemon verbena syrup (recipe to follow)
- 2 oz sparkling water
- 3 oz Zero White
- Recommended garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Pour the Zero White into a wine glass.
- Add the lemon verbena syrup and strawberry ginger shrub. Gently muddle.
- Add ice, top with sparkling water, and gently stir to remove any graduated layers.
- Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
Note: For a punch bowl batch, combine 2 bottles of Zero White, 1 quart strawberry ginger shrub, ½ quart lemon verbena syrup, and 1 quart sparkling water. Yields approximately 16 servings.
Lemon Verbena Syrup
Yield: approximately ½ quart
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves only (or substitute ⅓ cup dried)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Avoid vigorous boiling, which can cause excess evaporation and result in a thicker, more concentrated syrup.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sugar has fully dissolved.
- After removing from heat, steep the lemon verbena for 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to lightly blend and muddle the leaves, then strain and cool the mixture. A concentrated flavor is desired.
- Cool the syrup completely to room temperature before using.
Note: Store the syrup in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Strawberry Ginger Shrub
Yield: approximately 1 quart
Step 1: Ginger Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 62 ½ grams (approximately 2 ⅙ oz) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
(Weight listed is after peeling; approximately 2 ⅔ oz before peeling is fine) - 1 ⅓ cups white sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups water
Directions
Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan until the liquid reduces by roughly half. Follow a similar method to the lemon verbena syrup.
Step 2: Macerated Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 ⅕ lb strawberries, washed, tops removed, and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups Gravenstein apple cider vinegar
Directions
- Sprinkle the sugar over the chopped strawberries, gently stirring to coat evenly. Allow to macerate.
- Once the ginger syrup has reduced, remove it from heat and allow it to cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
- Pour the ginger syrup over the macerated strawberries (do not remove the ginger).
- Using a potato masher, lightly mash the strawberries and ginger.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Strain out the strawberries and ginger, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Stir in the Gravenstein apple cider vinegar.
Cheers to mixing up something festive, sharing a glass with good company, and starting the season on a celebratory note.
