Cocktail favorites

Makes 2

Among the cocktails I enjoy the most, Frozen Margaritas are my absolute favorite. Generally consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice, it can be served on the rocks or blended with crushed ice (the frozen version).

 My personal preference is to make them with fresh fruit but the traditional version (using the lime juice-based) is also quite delicious. Over the years, I have experimented with many different types of fruit, from the classic strawberries to melon, to mango and watermelon.

Here I provide a basic frozen margarita recipe, which you can use in combination with any fruit or with the lime juice base.

What you need: 

• 60ml (2oz or ¼ cup) simple syrup (see my recipe here)
• 85g (½ cup)  favorite  fruit OR 22ml (3/4 oz.) fresh lime juice
•  85ml (3 oz ) tequila
•  30ml  (1 oz  or 1/8 cup) orange liqueur (Triple Sec or Cointreau preferred)
•  Approx. 150g (1 cup) ice
•  Lime wedges
•  Granulate sugar or salt
• Fruit or lime wedge for garnish
• A blender
• Margarita glasses (optional)

How to make them:

1.  Add your fruit of choice (or lime juice), simple syrup, tequila, orange liqueur, and ice to a blender.
2. Pulse-blend for about one minute or so, until completely smooth.
3. Taste and adjust by adding more ice, tequila, or syrup if needed.
4. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glasses. 
5. Dip into sugar or salt. 
6. Pour into a margarita glass.
7. Enjoy!

Helpful tips:

• You can use frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit
• It is important to prepare the syrup well head of time (best the day before), as it will need to be chilled before adding  it to the margaritas. 
• I recommend gradually adding the ice, as to prevent the margarita to become too thick (it is always easier to add than to subtract). 
• Fruit-based margaritas are typically served with sugar coated rims, while salt is preferred for lime juice-based margaritas. 
• For added color, and texture,  use colored sugar, according to the colors of the fruit.
• Add a straw or any cocktail  decoration for stunning presentation.

Makes 1  

The Garibaldi is an Italian cocktail that can be made with only 2 ingredients: Campari and orange juice.

Despite its simple execution, it is a well-balanced drink by the slightly bitter, sweet and tangy notes, making it the perfect aperitif!

The name allegedly derives from  general Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was the main catalyst to the unification of Italy in 1871. As Campari originates from Northern Italy, and oranges are a  proud product of the warmer South, the name echos the perfectly balanced combination of these two ingredients in a glass!  

What you need:

• 45ml (1 1/2 ounce or 3 tablespoon) Campari
• 120ml (4 ounce or 1/2 cup) fresh squeezed orange juice 
• Orange wedge for garnish
• A blender

How to make it:

1. Squeeze the orange juice. 
2. Blend the orange juice until it is foamy.
3. Add Campari to a glass filled with ice. 
4. Top with foamed orange juice and stir gently. 
5. Top with an orange wedge. 
6. Enjoy!

Helpful tip:

• Blending the orange juice is optional but recommended, as this the  delicate frothy foam will add texture and fun.

Makes 1  

This simple, bubbly cocktail takes the name from Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini, whose skillful use of color recall the nuances of this refreshing drink.

Despite requiring only two ingredients, (fresh peach puree and Prosecco), this cocktail is full of flavor and it is the perfect drink for a warm summer night or a Sunday brunch.

What you need:   

• 60ml (2 ounce or 1/4 cup) peach puree  
• 120ml (4 ounce or 1/2 cup) Prosecco 
• For the garnish: peach slice (optional)
• A blender or food processor
• Peach wedge for garnish

How to make it: 

1. Peel the peaches and cut them in wedges
2. Blend for a few minutes to create a peach puree
3. Add the puree to a glass  - approx. 50-60ml (¼ cup) puree per glass.
4. Add a splash of Prosecco and gently mix 
5. Top off the glass with more Prosecco for added bubbliness.
6. Add the peach wedge for garnish.
7. Enjoy!

Helpful tips:

•  3 large ripe peaches will usually make enough for 6 drinks or 1 bottle of Prosecco 
• The sweetness provided by ripe peaches should be enough, but you can add sweetener if preferred.
• You can create variations of this cocktail by using different type of fruit.If using pomegranate juice, you will have a Tintoretto, a strawberry puree will result in a Rossini, while the use of orange juice will make a Mimosa. It’s that simple!

  Makes 1

Born in the northeastern region of Veneto this Italian drink became widely popular outside of Italy over the last few years and was ranked as the world's 9th bestselling cocktail in  2019 and 2021 by the website Drinks International.

This is traditionally an aperitif (aperitivo in Italian) but can be enjoyed at any time. due to its refreshing, well-balanced flavors. This cocktail requires only 3 ingredients: sparkling wine (traditionally Prosecco), Aperol and sparkling water 

The magic formula is based on using a 3-2-1 ratio of ingredients, which equates to the following:

• 3 PARTS OF PROSECCO 
• 2 PARTS OF APEROL 
• 1 SPLASH OF SODA

What you need:  

• 60ml (2 oz./ 4 tbsp) Aperol, chilled
• 90ml (3 oz./ 6 tbsp) Prosecco, chilled
• 30ml (1 oz/ 2 tbsp) sparkling water
• Ice 
• Orange wedge for garnish
• A straw

How to make it:

1. Fill a glass with ice
2. Add the Aperol and stir. 
3. Top with sparkling wine and sparkling water
4. Squeeze in the orange wedge and stir gently
5. Enjoy!

Helpful tips:

• For best results, only use a high quality Prosecco!
• Soda water works best, given the added carbonation
• Ensure the Aperol and the Prosecco are chilled as this will limit the dilution of  the ingredients 

Serving size: approx. 2-liters (8 cups)

 This winter-revision of the traditional Sangria (the typical wine-infused fruit punch from Spain and Portugal) , is the perfect festive drink to be served at Thanksgiving or during the Christmas Holidays. What makes this drink particularly practical is that it can be made  in advance (or better yet, it should!) I would advise to make it at least on hour before serving as to insure the perfect infusion of wine and fruit flavors.

What you need:  

• A bottle of  Zinfandel or other fruity red wine
•  220g (2 cups) fresh cranberries
•  2 medium oranges sliced and quartered
•  120ml (½ cup) simple syrup (see my recipe here)
•  120ml (½ cup) orange juice pulp free
•  350ml (1 ½ cup) cranberry juice
•  120ml (½ cup) orange liqueur (Triple Sec or Cointreau preferred)
•  1 liter (33oz or 4 ¼ cups)  carbonated water (i.e. club soda, soda water etc.)
• 2 liter (66oz) pitcher

How to make it:  

1. Pour the wine into the pitcher.
2. Add the simple syrup, orange juice, cranberry juice, and orange liqueur.
3. Add cranberries and oranges. Top off the pitcher with carbonated water. You may not use the whole bottle. 
4. Stir to mix the juices and let the flavors infuse for at least one hour (two preferred!) before serving.

Makes about 2-liters (8 cups)   

Limoncello is a well-known lemon-based liqueur by the bright yellow color. It is produced in the regions around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine peninsula, and the Amalfi Coast, in Southern Italy. 

The secret to its amazing taste is, of course, the lemons! That is why it is crucial to use lemons of the best quality, preferably those with a thick peel, such as the Sorrento or Meyers kind.

This liqueur is quite easy to make but requires some time and patience. The result however is well worth the wait as the taste of the homemade version is way superior to those commonly found on the market.

What you need:  

• 8-10 lemons (Sorrento or Meyers preferred)
• 1l (4 ½ cups) pure grain alcohol a 90-95%
• 600 g (3 cups) sugar
• 1l (4 ¼ cups) water
• A Microplane zester  or a fine grain vegetable peeler
• A glass jar/bowl
• A mixing bowl
• Two 1-liter (4 1/4 cup) glass bottles

How to make it:    

1. Carefully rinse lemons and pat dry.
2. Using the zester or peeler, peel off the lemon zest, making sure to leave out the white flesh.
3. Place the alcohol in the glass jar.
4. Add the lemon peel to the jar with the alcohol.
5. Leave to macerate and infuse for at least 8-10 days.
6. Create a simple syrup by mixing water and sugar in a saucepan. On medium heat, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
7. Bring to boil.
8. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
9. Remove the lemon peels from the infused alcohol (filter if necessary).
10. In a large bowl, place the lemon-infused alcohol.
11. Add the simple syrup a bit at a time (200ml/1 cup) at a time.
12. If the Limoncello is too strong add more syrup to soften the taste.
13. Bottle as desired.
14. Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled, accompanied by a slice of lemon as garnish.