Who doesn’t like sparkling wine? Champagne, of course. Cava, from Spain — the most sparkling production of any country. And prosecco from Northern Italy.
Prosecco is relatively new, first created in1868 in the far, far northeast corner of Italy. There, the terroir lets winemakers fashion a wine that is sparkling and distinctive. Author Amy Zavatto supplies us with “60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails” in this, yes, sparkling book. She provides prosecco history and covers the surprising wide range of prosecco wines — including some that don’t sparkle at all. I’m happy to know they exist, but I’m all for the bubbles.
Perhaps more than any other sparkling wine, prosecco is used as the base for a bounty of cocktail ideas. There is the famed Bellini where white peach puree is married to the prosecco. And the Aperol Spritz where the tart jab of Aperol is tamed with the sweetness of prosecco.
There you have the two formulas for using prosecco to make new cocktails: use fruit syrup or puree or add another liquor. Here are some easy examples:
Like the Bellini? Go for a Tropical Bellini by using passion fruit purees. The Rossini uses strawberry puree. The Autumn Bellini employs pear puree.
Alternatives to the Aperol Spritz? The Sbagliato uses Campari and sweet Vermouth. A Sparkling Crusta adds cognac, maraschino liqueur, triple sec, and lemon juice. And the Green Eyes employs gin, Green Chartreuse, and lemon juice. Oh, finally, the Shiny Nail has Scotch and Drambuie — truly a drink to fuel your own personal rocket.
If you buy this book, you won’t make two or three of the drinks here. You’ll be seduced into doing 10 or 20 or … Hell, all 60.
This is just the drink book you need for Fall and holiday parties. Get this book, get prosecco, and find fruit. Yes, you can go through your collection of liqueurs, too, and do some mix and matching. It’s all fun. It all sparkles.