By Cate Wells
Mimosas are great, but this cranberry-inspired drink has a nicer color and more positive spin as February 14th approaches. Whether Un-Valentine’s Day
- chilled champagne or sparkling wine
- cranberry juice cocktail
Pour 1 ounce cranberry juice into each glass and top with champagne.
Cate’s Cocktail Tip: Instead of champagne, try another sparkling wine like Prosecco or Cava. Produced in Italy and Spain, respectively, these bottles of bubbly can be an inexpensive alternative to those from the Champagne region of France.
By Cate Wells
Both margaritas and martinis are perfect for ladies night but what if you can’t decide between the two? Try a margaritini—this tart and sweet cocktail combines the best of both drinks. Instead of tequila, this beverage mash-up uses watermelon vodka as a delicious way to get over that latest loser without losing control. Happy Friday!
Cate’s Cocktail Tip: Start by dampening the rim of the glass and turn upside down onto a small plate with turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) to get a nice chunks of sugar on the rim.
4 parts margarita mix
2 parts watermelon vodka
1 part cranberry juice
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice, rim glass with sugar (if desired)
Add a thin slice of watermelon (if desired)
By Tom Johnson
River's End Restaurant
When you’ve broken up … when the he or she who was the center of your world is gone and you’re working your way past the disbelief and the anger and the bitterness, the last passage you must navigate before normalcy begins to return is brooding.
Brooding is not to be confused with self pity. Brooding is the antidote to self pity. Self pity has a sound; brooding is silent. Self pity has no meaning without the acknowledgement of others; brooding is solitary. It is the hard work that turns self pity into acceptance and, finally, the determination to go forward. It is the cold-hearted sorting out of what has come before, the filing-away of memories and emotions, the packing of baggage so you can pick up and carry on.
As there are wines for breezy Summer afternoons, there are as well wines for the business of brooding. Dark and challenging, they are wines that that echo the three critical aspects of a productive brood: emotion, place and process.
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by Cate Wells
Sometimes it’s so cold out that pre-packaged hot cocoa just isn’t going to cut it. Caribbean hot cocoa—the first of Cate’s Cocktails recipes—will keep you warm with a combination of chocolate and dark rum. You can also try it with another type of liquor from the islands like Kahlua? Or if have a thing for Irish guys, maybe Bailey’s? And, yes, spiked swiss miss works too, but your own personal blend is so much more fun on a cold day. Remember that this is perfect for after ice-skating, not before.
TIP: For a topping of fresh whipped cream, there’s no need to get out the mixer or blender. Just add 2 ounces of heavy cream plus a dash of sugar to your coffee grinder. Blend until nicely whipped and voilà.
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 ounce dark rum
Bring water to boil in saucepan. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until well blended. Remove from heat. Add rum to taste. Makes 1 serving.
How do you like to spice up your hot chocolate?
By Cate Wells
