Heading out for a picnic? Take your mixology knowledge on tour! Here are four fizzy cocktails that transport easily, mix up fast and serve a crowd!
Lemon Drop Champagne Punch
Image: A Splash of Vanilla
Recipe adapted from A Splash of Vanilla
3 lemons
170g sugar
180ml vodka
Bottle of sparkling wine, chilled
Candied lemon peels, to garnish
Method:
Before you set out, make a sugar syrup. Heat your sugar gently in a saucepan with 170ml of water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and bring just to a simmer before taking off the heat and setting aside.
Zest your lemons in a long, continuous spiral (this is easiest to do with a potato peeler) and drop the zest into your cooling sugar syrup. Juice the lemons, strain out the pulp and pour the liquid into a portable container, like an empty water bottle or protein shaker.
Once your sugar syrup has cooled, pick out the zest and decant the syrup into your bottle of lemon juice. Add the vodka and shake, then seal and pack into your picnic basket with a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and packet of candied lemon peel. Once you arrive at your destination, fill plastic champagne flutes with 25ml to 50ml of your lemon vodka mixture, top up with sparkling wine and stir. Garnish with candied lemon peel and enjoy!
Prosecco Margaritas
Image: Prosecco Club
Recipe adapted from Prosecco Club
75ml white tequila
75ml orange liqueur
100ml chilled simple syrup
200ml freshly-squeezed lime juice
Bottle of chilled sparkling wine
Coarse salt to rim glasses, as desired
Fresh lime wedges, to garnish
Method:
Combine the tequila, liqueur, simple syrup and lime juice in an empty water bottle or other portable, water-tight container. Pop it in the fridge to chill for a few hours, alongside a bottle of sparkling wine. When you’re ready to go, put both chilled bottles in your picnic basket alongside fresh lime wedges, coarse salt, plastic tumblers and a bag of ice.
When you arrive at your destination, fill your tumblers with ice and a lime wedge. Fill half full with your margarita mixture, and top up with sparkling wine. Stir and enjoy responsibly!
Sparkling Lavender Lemonade
Image: Honestly Yum
For the lavender lemon syrup:
200g granulated sugar
60ml lemon juice
140ml water
1tbsp dried lavender
3 drops food-grade lavender essential oil
For the cocktail:
25ml lavender lemon syrup
Chilled sparkling wine
Lavender sprig to garnish
Method:
To make your syrup, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, dried lavender and three drops of essential oil into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until everything is combined and the mixture has the consistency of a syrup. Take it off the heat, allow to cool and decant into a portable, water-tight container.
Pack your syrup along with dried lavender sprigs, plastic flutes and a chilled bottle of sparkling wine. When you arrive at your destination, pour about 25ml of lavender lemon syrup into each flute, top up with sparkling wine, garnish and enjoy in the summer sunshine.
Rhubarb Bubbly
Image: Tesco
750g rhubarb
150g caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
200ml gin
Two bottles of chilled sparkling wine
Method:
Make a rhubarb syrup by putting your rhubarb in a pan with the sugar, orange zest, orange juice and splash of water. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. When the rhubarb is very soft, take the mixture off the hob and strain. Decant the strained liquid into a portable container and allow to cool. Add the gin, shake well and pack your syrup alongside plastic flutes and two bottles of cold sparkling wine.
Once your picnic is in progress, pour a little of the rhubarb syrup into your flutes – the recipe above should make about eight servings. Top up with sparkling wine and enjoy!
