See in 2021 with this 'winter sangria' prosecco cocktail

One of the lockdown and Christmas party pivots of 2020 has been the Zoom cocktail class.

Mine began with a box of goodies delivered to my door with fruit, herbs and spices, miniature spirits, and a trio of bottles of prosecco.

The tipple may be Italy's best known sparkling wine, but not any Italian sparkling can call itself prosecco. Prosecco is a DOC with protected geographic origin or, if you prefer, Denominazione di Origine Controllata.

Hailing from the country's north eastern Veneto region, it encompasses an array of producers and price points. But the deliciously crisp glass of bubbles I sipped before our class convinced me it's well worth seeking out something a shade more expensive than the usual supermarket offer.

Soon we were immersed in a fun hour of chopping, mixing, and wafting aromatic herbs around our glasses with Danilo Cortellini, Head Chef of the Italian Embassy and Agostino Schiavo, Bar Supervisor of the Arts Club.

They came up with two Prosecco-based cocktails. Both were delicious, but my favourite was Danilo's winter sangria, which even boasts citrus fruits to ward off seasonal colds.

Why not make one to toast the new year and wish for a better 12 months than the last? I'll drink to that.

Prosecco Winter Sangria by Danilo Cortellini

I bet all of us had a glass of Sangria at least once in our life. There are few other drinks that scream ‘summer party’ so I thought, why only summer?

This is a twist on a classic, not as sweet as the Sangria we are used to as we’ll be using DOC Prosecco as our main ingredient mixed with ice cubes, winter citrus and herbs. It is a little different from the original but still a fantastic party drink.

Ingredients:

· 75 ml Prosecco DOC

· 25 ml Cointreau (or orange liquor)

· 30 ml squeezed grapefruit juice

· 20 g brown sugar

· Orange and grapefruit slices

· Bergamot and lemon zests

· Fresh sage to garnish

· Ice cubes

Method:

You can mix this cocktail directly into the glass. Serve in large Prosecco glasses.

Once you have sliced enough orange and grapefruit, squeeze the remaining fruit to create 30ml of juice. Whisk the brown sugar with the juice until it has fully dissolved.

Fill the glass with ice cubes and add the fruit, the zest and a few leaves of sage.

Pour the Cointreau into the glass and the fruit juice with sugar and stir well.

Now add the Prosecco DOC and stir gently to avoid losing all the lovely bubbles.

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