It’s a tradition to bring in the New Year with a glass of champagne and a cheery toast. It’s not surprising that December 31st happens to be National Champagne Day!

Here are a few of my favorite champagne cocktails to celebrate the season in style!

First up is my super-swank Bellini Manhattan! This cocktail combines two of my favorite drinks into one luscious libation. Just shake up bourbon, peach puree, sweet vermouth, strain into a martini glass and top it off with a splash of bubbly! For some bling-bling action, I like to garnish with Gold Cherries: drain maraschino cherries well then toss in some gold luster dust (available at cake decorating stores such as Cookies in Ballard) and stir to evenly coat.

A d’lish tray of my Pear Thyme Fizz!
(Photo from Kathy Casey’s Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books – Angie Norwood Browne)

If a lighter spirit is more your style, then try my Pear Thyme Fizz. It’s another of my favorite holiday season sips. This cocktail features pear vodka, lemon and fresh thyme – and of course a splash of champagne!  The fresh thyme adds a lovely dry note to this cocktail.

So break out the bubbly and get ready to celebrate! Cheers to a Happy New Year! –Kathy

For more great cocktail recipes check out my cocktail show www.liquidkitchen.tv

Bellini Manhattan
Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz Maker’s 46 Bourbon
1/2 oz Peach Puree (check out this video of how to make it)
3/4 oz red vermouth
3/4 oz – 1 oz splash brut champagne
Garnish: Gilded Cherry

Measure the bourbon, peach puree and red vermouth into a mixing glass. Fill with ice.

Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into a large martini glass. Add a splash of champagne. Garnish with a cherry.

Gilded Cherries
1/2 cup maraschino cherries – DRAINED WELL
3/4 – 1 tsp. Gold Luster Dust

Make the cherries in a container that you are going to store the cherries. It is important that the cherries be very well drained. Place the cherries in the container and add the luster dust. Stir gently to coat cherries in gold. Do not over stir – over stirring makes the gold “stirred in” and not coating. Store refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen^™

Pear Thyme Fizz
Fresh thyme’s savoriness is wonderful against the crisp dryness of pear.

Makes 1 drink

1 large sprig fresh thyme
3/4 ounce vodka
3/4 ounce pear vodka
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup*
Splash of chilled brut Champagne, dry sparkling wine, or soda water
Garnish: thin slice of fresh pear and small sprig of fresh thyme

Bend the large thyme sprig and drop into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Measure in the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Top with a splash of Champagne. Float a pear slice and thyme sprig in the drink for garnish.

* To make Simple Syrup: combine 1 part sugar and 1 part hot water. Stir to combine. Let it cool then store and refrigerate.

Recipe from Kathy Casey Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books

UBER is a great way of getting around town just at your finger tips. Just give them a quick text or use their free mobile app and in no time, a professional licensed driver will pick you up in a sleek black car and drive you to your destination!

I am giving all of my friends their very first Uber experience for FREE! Simply follow this link to redeem OR download the app and use my name, KathyCasey. Once you do, $15 will be credited towards your account. Exciting!

The holiday season goes hand-in-hand with some of our favorite libations. Rum and eggnog, mulled wine, holiday punch, champagne cocktails…but not everyone imbibes. Whether they are designated driver or just don’t drink, make sure everyone has something special to sip for the holiday season

One of my faves is the Rosemary Pom Holiday Sparkle. Made d’lish by shaking up fresh rosemary, Cutie’s sweet clementines and tart pomegranate juice. Top this with sparkling apple cider for a bit of bubbly. You can serve it on the rocks or strained into a champagne flute for a more elegant presentation. For parties, I like to float a cranberry and a little sprig of rosemary in the drink for a cheery garnish.

Homemade sodas are also a great party idea for kids of all sizes. Just combine syrup and soda or sparkling water over ice … it’s just that easy for a fun and refreshing twist on the traditional soda! Monin has an amazing line up of flavors available online, from spicy mango to blood orange as well as blueberry pie and toasted marshmallow.

Don’t forget to check your grocery stores for fun syrups! Local restaurant supply chain Cash and Carry has a huge inventory of goods so make sure to browse their syrups. You can also experiment in making your own syrups too – ginger jasmine lime is one of my favorites and tastes great in my Cucumber Ginger Jasmine Fizz.

My Cucumber Ginger Jasmine Fizz!

For the holidays, make sure your non-imbibing guests have just as much fun as everyone else with some creative sips – sans the alcohol.

Cheers! – Kathy

Rosemary Pom Holiday Sparkle
Fresh rosemary’s herbal essence complements the tangy flavor of the clementine and the sweetness of the sparkling cider. When making this in the Middle East, I substituted sparkling date cider instead of the apple cider! It was fantastic!

Makes 1 drink

1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 or 1/2 of a clementine or mandarin, depending on size
(I like to use Cuties Clementines as they have no seeds)
1 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
3 oz sparkling apple cider
Garnish: Fresh rosemary sprig

Bend 1 rosemary sprig and drop into a cocktail shaker. Squeeze in the clementine then drop in. Measure in the pomegranate juice. Fill the shaker with ice. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass. Top with the cider and stir. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. (Or, you can shake the drink in the cocktail shaker, then add the sparkling cider and strain the drink into a tall champagne flute for a more elegant look.)

Recipe © Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen^™

Cucumber Ginger Jasmine Fizz
Makes 1 drink

3–4 slices fresh cucumber
1 1/2 oz Ginger Jasmine Lime Syrup (recipe follows)
3 oz sparkling water or club soda
Garnish: Candied ginger and cucumber slice on a pick, or a lime wedge

Drop the cucumber into a cocktail shaker and muddle well to release the juices. Measure in the Ginger Jasmine Lime Syrup. Fill shaker with ice. Cap and shake vigorously. Add sparkling water to shaker and then strain drink into a martini glass. Garnish as desired.

Ginger Jasmine Lime Syrup
Makes 12 oz or enough for about 8 drinks

1 tsp minced ginger
1 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp loose jasmine tea

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the ginger, lime juice, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the tea. Steep for 5 minutes, then strain through a very fine strainer, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Refrigerate the syrup, for up to 7 days, until ready to use.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen^™

Looking for a quick and easy holiday sip and app for
your next party?

Well, a punch is the perfect solution. You can make them in advance (like my Purity Punch) and then just serve up over ice or let guests help themselves. (Make sure you have a nice punch bowl to serve it in like this one!) Serve with Warm Almond Crusted Brie Crostini with Apple Chutney (as seen to the right alongside my Purity Punch; Photo by Kathy Casey Food Studios^® – Liquid Kitchen^™) makes for a perfect pairing. Happy Holidays! – Kathy

For the recipes, continue reading on Amazon’s Al Dente Blog.

Hope to see all my Pacific Northwest friends this Saturday, December 17^th from 11am – 7pm!

It’s the holiday season and we’re opening the doors to the Food Studios once again, tempting you with lots of fabulous goodies for you and your favorite foodies! From our always-popular “Over 21″ Real Fruit Cakes made with Maker’s Mark (get there early!), limited edition preserves like our 14-Day Candied Cuties Clementines and Kiwi Pepper Jelly, pretty packaged little Spiced Apple Cakes and housemade candies to our Dish D’Lish^® specialty products and Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen^™ bar goods, we have all your foodie gift needs covered!

You’ll have a chance to sample some tasty tidbits from Sips & Apps like Cha Cha Cashews and Parmesan Poppy Seed Puffs! Guest author and Frantic Foodie Keren Brown will be signing her latest book Food Lover’s Guide to Seattle from 1:00 – 3:00pm. We will also be featuring specialty handmade gifts from our crafty friends like jewelry maker (and food writer) Cody Ellerd Bay and associate chef Cameo McRoberts.

Hope to see you for some D’lish holiday cheer! – Kathy

Kathy Casey Food Studios Holiday Extravaganza

Saturday December 17^th 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

5130 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-784-7840

Downtown Seattle’s Pacific Place just got a little sweet & savory! Already known as a premier shopping destination, Pacific Place has invited Chocolate Box Express, Trophy Cupcakes and 11 Olives to have pop-up stops for shoppers. Perfect for those last minute gifting ideas!

Mezcal is a fantastic spirit, offering a variety of subtle nuances and rich flavor. Often compared to tequila, they are worlds apart! Both are made from agave plants (blue agave specifically for tequila while mezcal can be made from a variety of agaves) and are particular to regions in Mexico.

I invited special guest Tim Master, Director of Specialty Spirits Division and Trade Education at Frederick Wildman & Sons, to the set of Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen for this special episode on mezcal. He brought samples of Ilegal Mezcal to try and showed us how to make his Maguey Harvest cocktail, a versatile drink that can be served cold or warm! The Ilegal Mezcal Reposado has a smokiness akin to whiskey and pairs well with the apple cider, lemon juice and cinnamon syrup. Perfect for a holiday party or a great way to warm up during the winter chills!

Salud! -Kathy

Trying to figure out what to give everyone on your holiday list can be hectic! Well if you have a foodie on your list… I’ve got you covered!

Next Saturday (December 17th) is my annual Holiday Extravaganza! I’m opening the doors once again to my Food Studios in Ballard from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. There’ll be samples to try and goodies to buy!

We’ll have all sorts of things to nibble on from tasty bites from my book Sips & Apps to samples of Dish D’Lish^® Egg Nog and Liquid Kitchen^™ 5130 Honey to name a few.

We’ll have loads of tasty treats ready to stuff your favorite foodie’s stocking, including my ever popular “Over 21” Real Fruit Cakes made with Maker’s Mark! These plump little loaves are full of Maker’s Mark soaked dried fruits and  toasted nuts, baked till golden then finished with bourbon glaze. This is not your mom’s fruitcakes! And let me tell you they go fast!

There’ll be plenty to buy, from our Spiced Apple Cakes and Chocolate Peppermint Ho Hos and all our various Dish D’Lish specialty products: seasoning salts, Cocktailor^™ cocktail mixers and limited-edition preserves including Raspberry Wine Jelly, Strawberry Lavender Jam and so much more!

From our Liquid Kitchen barware and products to more d’lish goodies like our Jingle Bell “Cheese Balls” spiked with Remy Martin Cognac, Gingerbread Stars and homemade candies, we’ll have all sorts of tasty treats for all your favorite foodies.

I’ll also be signing copies of my books throughout the day. Special guest and Frantic Foodie Keren Brown will be there from 1:00 – 3:00 pm signing copies of her newest book Food Lover’s Guide to Seattle. We will also be featuring other cool, specialty handmade gifts from our crafty friends such as jewelry maker (and food writer) Cody Ellerd Bay.

So mark your calendars for my Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11am-7pm. Hope to see you there! -Kathy