LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2017

ENTERTAINING  HOLIDAY REMIX

THE COSMOPOLITAN

festive twist

Try this For a lip-smacking glass rimmer: add fine zest of 3 limes (use a microplane, very fine grater or zesting tool) to 1 cup (250 mL) superfine sugar and mix well. To use, pour some sugar on a saucer or shallow bowl. Moisten each glass rim with a lime wedge, then dip into sugar to coat; shake off ex- cess. Refrigerate unused lime-zest sugar in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

CHANGE IT UP Turn the Cosmopolitan into a Highball; for 2 drinks, shake 2 oz vodka, 1 oz orange liqueur and 1 ⁄ 2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice in a cocktail shaker of ice. Strain and pour over ice into Highball glasses and top with sparkling cranberry soda. Stir gently; garnish with a lime wedge.

Once mixed with vodka, orange liqueur and lime, the cranberry-based Cosmopolitan appears pinkish. Make it holi- day-bright with pome- granate or cranberry-pomegranate juice. Depending on the sugar level (unsweetened juices can be bitter), add more orange liqueur to taste.

WHITE DELIGHT “White” cocktails sub clear spirits for brown. Clear the Cosmo by using white cranberry juice in place of the normal red; garnish with lemon zest in place of lime, and drop a few fresh or frozen cranberries in the glass for brilliant contrast.

Batch and make ahead for a group: extra mix compensates for the volume normally added by melting ice in a cocktail shaker. For 5 to 6 drinks, combine 1¼ cups (310 mL) cranberry juice, 1 cup (250 mL) vodka, ½ cup (125 mL) orange liqueur and ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice in a clean 750-mL glass bottle. Chill and mix gently before serving.

176  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2017