Tropical cocktails
Blasphemy or a drink with a great body?
       

 
 
 

There is more to wine cocktails then just Kir.

These days Kir (Royal) is one of the most common cocktails in France. Making and drinking Kir cocktails is an old burgundic tradition that mixes the white aligoté wine with crème de cassis (black berry liqueur), which later first spread to the rest France and from there on to the rest of the world. There are many varieties available. By using other wines, other kinds of grapes and other fruit liqueurs (strawberry, raspberry, blue berry, etc.) new combinations were invented which were welcomed with much appreciation by the general public. Even red wines are being mixed now. Still it is strange to see wine being used in cocktails in a country like France, where people take great interest in a wine's origin and vinification. Mixing the result of so much effort and hard work with other ingredients is an act of heresy.

With wine, light or strong, full bodied or fruity, white or red, mixed with fruit juices or fruit liqueurs, you can make various cocktails.

Obviously there are limits to this type of elite thinking: one has to admit that not all wines are of inviolable quality. Furthermore, it would be a shame, if not a waste, if a cocktail inventor would not be allowed to use this widely know drink. The British, whom may have a bit less scruple than the French, but are connoisseurs in their own right, have many recipes based on (reinforced) wines.

Many wines are close to being a cocktail themselves, like for instance the Bordelais, which is made from at least 3 kinds of grapes, each of which adds a specific character to the wine. Château-neuf-du-pape is even made of at least 12 kinds of wine grapes!

It's the task of a maître de chai (cellar master) to make the right combination, the right melange. The wine traders from their side offer their own brand wines, in which different grapes, different districts, yes: even different vintages of the same appellation are mixed. And what to say about the wines 'from different countries of the European Union', which might just as well be called cocktails ready for consumption.

Light or Strong, fruity or stale, all types of wine, white or red, are suitable cocktails material. Wine combines well with liqueurs, but also with certain fruit juices. Combining with spirits derived from wine, especially cognac, is fine, but it's advised to refrain from mixing wine with grain based alcohol.

Sangria (for 6 persons)

Preferably use a strong spanish wine or one from the Cahors or the south west of France for this delicious cocktail that know many varieties.

Put in a big bowl:

1 bottle of red wine
4 teaspoons of sugar
8 cl. Cognac
8 cl. Cointreau
juice and skin of 1 orange
juice and skin of 1 lemon

Chill in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Just before serving add ice cubes, soda water (2 dl.), slices of orange, slices of lemon, and some slice of a fruit of the season (peach, apricot, etc.) Stir and serve in champagne coupes.

Cocktail Bordelais (for 12 persons)

Long Drink: aperitif.

Put in a bowl:

2 sliced peaches
4 sliced apricots
6 strawberries
10 raspberries
1 thinly sliced orange
1 dl. Cognac
1 dl. Cointreau

Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Just before serving add 2 bottles Sauternes (or another white liqueur wine) and ice cubes. Stir and serve in small bowls.

 

Argentine

Long drink: aperitif.

Put in a shaker half filled with ice:

3/10 Red Bordeaux
3/10 Cognac
2/10 Orange Juice
2/10 Pineapple Juice
1 splash of Cointreau

Shake well and serve in wine glasses with some ice cubes. decorate with a slice of orange.

Western Electric

Long drink: at any time.

Put in a shaker half filled with ice:

4/10 Red Bordeaux
3/10 Cognac
3/10 Cointreau

Shake and serve in high champagne glasses. Add soda water without stirring.

 

More cocktails based on: | Gin | Vodka | Tequila | Rum | Whisky | Calvados | Cognac | Vermouth | Port | Anise drinks & bitters | Liqueurs | Wine | Champagne | Beer | warm cocktails |