Looking for a contemporary take on the classic champagne toast to ring in 2015? Cleo Restaurant of the global hospitality and entertainment company sbe has you covered. Their signature NYE cocktail, Cleopatra’s Bubbly, combines champagne with Mediterranean spices and pomegranate juice. The result: a crimson colored libation that is as simple to recreate as it is refreshing.
“New Years always calls for champagne, but I wanted to put my own spin on it, which inspired me to create the clove and sage-infused syrup,” says Caleb King, mixologist for sbe and creator of Cleo’s Bubbly. “Sage is known for cleansing, which is perfect for a new year.”
If a little spice doesn’t have you feeling properly resolved for 2015, you can cheers to a worthwhile cause with the Winter Berry Breeze. The key to this enlivened berry drink is RED, Belvedere Vodka’s limited edition bottle that is sold each year around the holiday season.
“Not only does the bottle look festive and giftable, but for every bottle sold, 50% of the profits go directly to The Global Fund, which then uses 100% of the money to finance HIV/AIDS programs in Africa,” explains Ali Dedianko, Belvedere Vodka’s Global Brand Ambassador. “The drink is inspired by the flavors of winter, but is designed to be long and easy drinking, nothing too cloying or heavy.”
To mix up these festive cocktails for your New Year’s Eve bash, follow these simple recipes.
CLEOPATRA’S BUBBLY
1 oz Clove and sage-infused syrup*
0.50 oz Pomegranate juice
Stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass and strain out into a champagne flute. Garnish with a sage leaf.
*Recipe for syrup:
1 quart simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
1/2 cup cloves
1 cup sage
Let all ingredients sit in the simple syrup in a pot on the stove at medium heat until it boils. Let sit and cool for an hour. Strain out cloves and sage from simple syrup using a superfine strainer.
Winter Berry Breeze
WINTER BERRY BREEZE
1.5 oz (Belvedere) RED
3 oz cranberry juice
2 oz cloudy apple juice
0.25 oz Belvoir Spiced Winter berry
Glögg
Build in a highball glass over cubed ice; can also be mulled and served warm. Garnish with a red apple wedge and seasonal spices.
