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How Sweet Do You Like Your Champagne?

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:45:28 -0700

Come Party With Me: Harvest Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:48 -0700

During the main meal at my harvest-themed dinner party, I'll pair the chicken and risotto with wine. However, before we sit down to the table, I want to treat guests to a luxurious champagne cocktail.

Since a punch easily quenches the thirst of a crowd, I'll be mixing a large bowl of classic champagne punch. The cocktail gets its rosy hue from chambord, a raspberry-flavored liquor.

With the poached pear dessert, I'll let guests sip a sweet late harvest wine. To check out the recipe I'll be using for the punch, keep reading.

Come Party With Me: Harvest Party - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:15:03 -0700

A harvest party is an event that celebrates grape-picking, so I'm creating a menu that consists of dishes made with wine.

One of my favorite desserts to order when dining out is pears poached in wine. Although the technique is relatively simple, I've never poached pears at home.

That's why I plan to experiment with this recipe for pears simmered in pink Champagne. It's elegant and fruity, but not too rich or sweet. Oh and it can be made up to a week in advance! To look at the easy recipe, read more.

Champagne-Poached Pears
From Cookie

Ingredients

1 bottle champagne, preferably pink (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
Zest of 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
2 large pears (such as Bosc) or 4 small pears (such as Seckel), peeled (firm, slightly underripe pears work best)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients except the pears in a pot and bring to a simmer.
Carefully lower the pears into the liquid (adding up to 1 cup water to make sure the fruit is fully submerged).
Simmer until the pears are tender, 15 to 17 minutes for small pears, 25 to 30 minutes for large ones.
Cool the pears in the cooking liquid for 30 minutes before serving, or store them in the refrigerator (still in the liquid) for up to a week.

Serves 2.

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Christian Louboutin Champagne: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:00:33 -0700

From logo lollipops to stylish cupcakes, the merging of fashion and food isn't new. What I haven't seen, however, is a Champagne glass shaped like a shoe! Designed by famed shoe maker Christian Louboutin, this glass slipper was created to coincide with the launch of the brand's own Champagne. In partnership with Piper Heidsieck, the bubbly and shoe are available for a limited time at Colette in Paris, starting Oct. 26. I think both the bottle and glass are incredibly sexy and would love to get my hands on the set! How about you?

Come Party With Me: Anniversary - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:50:40 -0700

There is one detail of my parents' 1976 wedding that I have always been fascinated by. No, it wasn't the fact that my mom's dress was too big or that my dad was upset when she smashed carrot cake into his face. It is the Champagne fountain that mesmerizes me. A neverending, flowing waterfall of bubbly, fizzy celebratory golden liquid - how wildly glamorous! While I considered renting a fountain for their upcoming anniversary party, I have decided instead to simply serve a Champagne cocktail. As much as I wanted to recreate the moment, the event is a casual barbecue, and a fountain of glistening Champagne just didn't seem to fit. The cocktail is a mixture of sparkling wine, strawberry liqueur, and lemon juice and was originally created in the '70s.

I'll also offer guests a selection of chilled beers, water, and white wine. To check out the recipe, read more.

Lemon Champagne
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar cubes
2 lemons, peeled and juiced
1 cup strawberry flavored brandy or fraises des bois liqueur
2 bottles chilled Champagne

Directions

Rub the sugar cubes against the lemon peels until the cubes are yellow.
In a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade, blend the yellowed sugar with the lemon juice.
In a large pitcher set in ice, combine the mixture with the strawberry-flavored brandy or fraises des bois liqueur. Pour in the Champagne and divide the mixture among 8 Champagne glasses, chilled. Garnish each drink with a strawberry.

Makes 8 drinks.

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Happy Hour: Pommery POP America

partysugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:15:58 -0700

With its delightful dryness and light, fizzy body, it's easy to pledge your allegiance to Pommery POP Champagne ($11.99).

A stylish wine with a pale yellow color, POP has a floral nose, creamy mouth feel, and subtle citrus flavor. I like POP for its smooth drinkability; it's refreshing and tastes great on its own.

The French sparkler is perfect for everyday or commemorating a special occasion like the 4th of July - especially now that they've released an all-American bottle! Fill an ice bucket with a bunch of bottles for an instant festive centerpiece or bring a 4-pack to surprise your hostess.

Have you tasted POP? What did you think of this effervescent sparkler?

Party Fabulous: Simple Strawberry-Mint Glass Garnish

partysugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:15:09 -0700

For the past two and a half years, I've complained about everything from a lack of utensils to an unfriendly hostess in my regular column called, Party Foul. Well, guess what? I don't just want to focus on the bad. Parties are supposed to be fun, so it's high time I introduce a new feature, Party Fabulous, that highlights haute hostesses and chic party ideas. Take this simple, but pretty garnish, for example. While I've seen plenty of champagne flutes topped with strawberries, I've never seen a heart-shaped strawberry with mint-leaf garnish. I found this lovely detail at a recent bachelorette party. Here's how to re-create it at home:

Stem and hull the strawberry.
Turn the berry over and run the knife though the bottom so it can be placed on top of a glass (be careful not to cut the berry all the way in half).
Take two small mint leaves and place inside the hole. Slide onto a glass. Voila!

Can you imagine how gorgeous a tray of strawberry-topped glasses will look at the entrance of a party? Do you have a fabulous tip for a party? Share your experiences below.

All About Bubbly: A Guide to Champagne Jargon

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:15:10 -0700

Whether you're celebrating a wedding, honeymoon, graduation, or just the fact that it's Friday, you're probably raising a glass of champagne. Of course, not all sparkling wine is classified as champagne, and that's just the start of the confusing jargon. To help you choose the bubbly that's right for you, I've put together a guide to all of the relevant vocab, so you can sort out the doux from the cru.

Champagne: Sparkling wine produced in the French region of the same name. The "champagne" definition was protected by the Treaty of Versailles, but since the US never officially signed the treaty, some American producers use the champagne name, too.
Prosecco: A sparkling wine produced in Italy, mostly in the Veneto region.
Cava: Spain's contribution to the champagne family, named for the cellars in which it is produced.
Sparkling wine: A catchall term used for any bubbly without a specific regional designation, often applied to American wines.

For a closer look at all the adjectives you'll see on a label, read more.

Brut: A dry variety of sparkling wine, and the most common.
Extra brut: The driest of the dry. Also sometimes called brut sauvage.
Extra dry: Not to be confused with "extra brut," these wines are only slightly dry - a midpoint between sweet and dry champagnes.
Sec: Slightly sweet, even though the name actually translates to "dry" in French.
Doux: The very sweetest sparkler, typically served as a dessert wine.
Demi-sec: A bit sweeter than sec, but not as sweet as doux.
Cuvee: A rather confusing term that basically means that the bottle comes from a blend of wines, often kept secret by the maker.
Grand cru: A wine that comes from the highest quality vineyards.
Vintage: A wine produced from a single year of grapes, versus nonvintage, which combines several years.

Got more champagne decoding tips to add? Share them in the comments below.
Source

Champagne Stopper Is the Perfect Little Party Gift

partysugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:00:55 -0700

I'm always on the look out for new gift ideas because it's nice to give something other than a candle. When there's not enough time to make an edible treat, I like to give girlfriends and couples this fabulous Champagne stopper. It's incredibly useful and not an item most people already have.

Oh and did I mention it's affordable? At $7.00 a pop, it's hard to believe this stopper was specially crafted for the Bubble Lounge. It keeps bubbly fresh for days and fits easily in a utensil drawer. The stopper would make a great party favor, addition to a goodie bag, or thank-you for a bridesmaid. Pair with a bottle of bubbly and you've got the ultimate hostess gift! What's your favorite little gift?

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Come Party With Me: Bedazzle Bonanza - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:50:11 -0700

There's only one thing to drink at a party that revolves around attaching rhinestones to fabric and that's sparkling wine. Although we haven't decided which sparkling to pour (favorites as of late are Sofia, anything by Ayala, and Pommery Gold) FabSugar and I will have plenty of bubbly chilling on ice. We'll also offer guests a specialty champagne cocktail. While grapefruit is a polarizing ingredient, its elegant jewel-tone color fits in perfectly with our theme. The drink is a combination of fresh-squeezed ruby grapefruit juice and sparkling wine. When making a cocktail that involves sparkling wine, don't be afraid to select a more affordable bottle. For the recipe, read more.

Ruby Champagne Cocktail
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 Ruby Red pink grapefruits
1/4 cup sugar
1 750-ml bottle brut Champagne, well chilled

Directions

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from 1 grapefruit; place in bowl.
Cut both grapefruits in half; squeeze enough juice to measure 3/4 cup. Mix juice and sugar in bowl with peel. Let stand 5 minutes. Strain into small bowl, pressing on solids.
Pour 2 tablespoons syrup into each of four 6-ounce flutes. Fill each with 2/3 cup Champagne.

Serves 4.

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