It’s New Year’s Eve, and time to bring out the champagne! I’ve made no secret of my love for champagne cocktails, and New Year’s the perfect excuse to make them. Today I’m teaming up with Risata Wines to bring you a sparkling cocktail with their Moscato d’Asti. Moscato d’Asti is a kind of sweet sparkling wine. If dry champagne is not your thing, pour a glass of this at midnight! It’s also nice served with dessert or mixed into a cocktail.
Because Moscato is so sweet, I like to balance it out with some sour and citrusy notes. In this drink, I added lemon juice and Cointreau. The taste made me think of the classic Corpse Reviver #2, so I spritzed the champagne flutes with absinthe before pouring in the cocktail. I absolutely love the result – it’s complex, elegant, and delicious. It’s also not too high in alcohol content, so you can toast 2020 with several of these before calling it a night!
However, if there’s ever a time to be over-the-top and fancy, it’s New Year’s, so I added one more little touch to this drink – a stick of rock candy in each glass. I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I saw it on Pinterest ages ago, and this is the perfect cocktail for it. Even with the sweet Moscato, this drink is just a bit on the tart side, and the rock candy slowly dissolves and sweetens it up. Or you can take it out and enjoy it on its own as you sip. It’s the perfect touch to make your New Year’s cocktails extra special!
Rock Candy Sparkler
1/2 oz. Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)
1/2 oz. lemon juice
~4 oz. Risata Moscato d’Asti
Absinthe
Spritz or rinse a chilled champagne flute with absinthe. Add Cointreau and lemon juice. Top with chilled Moscato. Garnish with a stick of rock candy.
This post is sponsored by Risata wines. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!