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Trends watch: Bubbly beginnings

Sarah L. Stewart
Special to The Vail TrailFrozen Peach Champagne Cocktails
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Like a round of applause welcoming the new year, the popping sound of opened champagne bottles can be heard across the country this time of year. We all know champagne equals celebration, but what if you’re tired of the same-old beige stuff?

Here, some Food Network celebrity chefs offer their hints on how to spruce up the bubbly this holiday season.

From Michael Chiarello



– 3/4 cup pear liqueur

– 1 750-ml bottle champagne or sparkling wine, chilled

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– 1 ripe pear, cored, cut into thin slices

Pour 1 tablespoon of pear liqueur in each of six glasses. Top each glass with champagne. Drop the pear slice gently into the glass.

From Ingrid Hoffmann

– 1 cup lime sorbet

– 2 tablespoons heavy cream

– 1/2 cup vodka

– 1 bottle champagne

– Lime slices, for garnish

In a blender add sorbet, cream, vodka and champagne. Blend. Pour into champagne flutes and garnish with a slice of lime

From Giada De Laurentiis

– 1 bag frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

– 2 tablespoons sugar

– 1 750-ml bottle chilled champagne

Blend the raspberries and sugar in a food processor or blender until pureed. Strain the raspberry puree through a sieve; discard the seeds, if you wish. Set up six champagne flutes and put about 1 tablespoon of raspberry puree in each glass. Add champagne to each glass; stir gently and serve.

from Rachael Ray

– 1/4 cup sugar, to rim glasses

– 1 pint peach sorbet

– 2 shots Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau (orange liqueurs)

– Chilled champagne or sparkling wine, to fill blender, 1/3 bottle

– Raspberries and four springs mint, optional garnish

Dip four cocktail glasses in water, then in sugar to rim glass. Place four scoops of peach sorbet in blender. Add two shots orange liqueur. Fill blender with champagne to maximum fill line or up to 1-inch from top of blending pitcher. Place cover on blender tightly. Blend until smooth and pour into cocktail glasses. Garnish with a few raspberries and a sprig of mint and serve.


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