‘Pimp up your Prosecco’ is not a phrase I had heard until this summer when I was invited to an event organised by a friend of mine. It took place at The Little Bull in Brenchley, just outside Tunbridge Wells. It was a fun night of putting different fruits, syrups and spirits into your Prosecco to make it taste better/different!
Of course I am a fan of the bubbles but remember reading about the possible shortage in our local supermarkets, click here. As I browse the shelves this week there seems no panic for Prosecco – there is such a choice and at such competitive prices it makes it an easy choice to make! Since the summer I have heard so much of jazzing up your Prosecco and Jamie Oliver has a selection of seven recipe ideas click here.
I have been experimenting over the past few weeks myself, with lots of canapés and festive food entertaining ideas for Christmas. One of the sweet canapés ideas was a Prosecco jelly with pomegranate seeds in. I made a couple of batches (having to finish off a few last glasses of Prosecco left in the bottle!) of jellies one with Elderflower cordial and Prosecco, some with cranberry juice and my most successful but slightly potent combination with Cointreau and Prosecco.
Lakeland have some great products to ‘pimp up your Prosecco’ or as they put it ‘we provide the sparkle… you create the magic’.The Popaball – Shimmer for Prosecco’ – “Just add a little of the pink powder to a glass of Prosecco or sparkling wine and watch it fizz and cascade down the flute, leaving behind a lovely swirling, glittery shimmer, a hint of pink and a subtle raspberry flavour.” I also love the ‘Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup’ available in a jar from Lakeland at £9.99. These are wild hibiscus flowers and have a remarkable effect when mixed in with Prosecco. You place one of the hand-picked buds in a flute, spoon in a little of the crimson syrup and fill with fizz, then watch as the petals slowly begin to unfurl. (for the Mums out there or the LUSH customers its just the same but instead of putting it in your bath you pop it in your drink!) To take a look at the Lakeland selection and ‘The 12 days of Fizzmiss’ click here.
I know that this Christmas it seems even more popular to add different combinations to your Prosecco and I saw lots of inspiration today looking around the Country Living Christmas Fair at the Design Centre, London. There are now so many different drink combinations you could get confused, some are already mixed and some are for mixing. After sampling and looking around the whole fair today my favourite was Wild Thyme Spirits click here for their website. They make a selection of Gin’s and the one I really think works beautifully in Prosecco is the Colonsay Gin Bramble Liqueur. The other British Cassis by White Heron is a blackcurrant liqueur and a similar type flavour with festive sweetness and colour – this will be served at some of my upcoming Christmas events.