Recipe of the Week: The Oscar Buzz Cocktail

It’s Oscars week and while I haven’t seen a fraction of the nominated films, I’ll still be sitting down on Sunday night to take in the gleam of the red carpet with a cocktail in hand. (Lounging in your cozies shouldn’t stop you from drinking and being fabulous like Angelina.) Also, it’s only appropriate to have a suitable drink handy to cheers when the acceptance speech of the year occurs (channeling you, Cate Blanchett circa 2014.)

Thankfully, Aida Mollenkamp, chef, television personality and curator of the food and travel blog Salt and Wind has us covered. Pairing bubbles with blood orange, this cocktail is bright and zesty and perfect for a swanky Oscar Sunday. Enjoy it with small bites, or sip on its own, because with this sun shining and early onset of spring, there is no reason to not toast to the season.

Ingredients

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar

Peel (with pith) from 4 blood oranges

2 vanilla beans

3/4 cup blood orange juice

3/4 cup blood orange juice

1/2 ounce chilled spiced blood orange base

1/2 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur

4 ounces bottle chilled brut Champagne or sparkling wine

Dash orange bitters

blood orange twist for garnish

Ingredients

2 cups cold water
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
Peel (with pith) from 4 blood oranges
2 vanilla beans
3/4 cup blood orange juice
3/4 cup blood orange juice
1/2 ounce chilled spiced blood orange base
1/2 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
4 ounces bottle chilled brut Champagne or sparkling wine
Dash orange bittersblood orange twist for garnish

Instructions

For the blood orange base:

Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, diced blood orange peel, vanilla, and clove until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool off and steep for 1 hour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discard solids, add blood orange juice and refrigerate until cold.

For one cocktail:

Fill a chilled champagne flute halfway with ice water and let sit 30 seconds until chilled. Discard ice water then add 1/2 ounce each blood orange base and Pama pomegranate liqueur to the bottom of the flute. Top with 4 ounces chilled Champagne, add a dash of bitters, then garnish with a twist and serve.

Yield: 2 cups (10-12 servings)