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Recipe Detail Page
Sweet & Spicy
Holiday 2016
Using wine in this cocktail gives you a lower-alcohol and complex flavour-base to work with. Elderflower liqueur is a very popular cocktail ingredient at the moment—the liqueur adds a hint of something sweet and mysterious to anything you add it to. Be aware that not all Chardonnays will combine well with elderflower. Look for a full-bodied but un-oaked Chardonnay, and add the elderflower a little at a time to get a flavour that appeals to you. The pickled beet garnish gives the drink a nice hit of acidity and a beautiful rosy hue. To turn it into an alcohol-free drink, just leave out the wine and substitute elderflower syrup (a familiar big box Scandinavian store carries it) for the liqueur.
Makes 8 drinks
GARNISH
2 small beets
1 cup (250 mL) apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup (80 mL) sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) black peppercorns
4 cloves
1½ cups (375 mL) un-oaked Chardonnay
1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened apple juice
1 cup (250 mL) pear nectar
2 tbsp to ¼ cup (30 to 60 mL) elderflower liqueur
2 cups (500 mL) naturally flavoured non-alcoholic Jamaican ginger beer
1 Peel beets and slice them into very thin rounds (thin enough to fold without breaking) starting at the tip (a mandoline works very well for this purpose, if you have one). You will want a round of beets no more than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter—cut them smaller if you need to. Use a knife to make a single cut from the edge into the centre of each round. Working with 2 to 3 slices of beets at a time, take a small round and, beginning with the cut edge, roll it into a small cone. Continue with 1 to 2 more slices of beets around the original cone so you have what looks like a small rosette. Run a skewer through the rosette to secure it. Set aside and repeat until you have 8 rosettes.
2 Combine vinegar, sugar, peppercorns and cloves in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add beet rosettes and let stand about 2 to 5 minutes or until beets have softened slightly and become flavourful. Store rosettes covered in vinegar mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Rosettes are best made and used the same day.
3 Combine Chardonnay, apple juice, pear nectar and elderflower liqueur in a pitcher with ice. Add ginger beer and stir until just combined. Strain into coupe glasses and serve with beet rosette.
Makes 8 drinks
