With New Year's fast approaching (and possibly a new music video!), I thought I'd post my favorite champagne cocktail of all time: the Auld Lang. (I also happen to really love the song.) Make it to ring in the New Year or simply to celebrate an awesome night with friends. I found the recipe in the New York Times a few years back, instantly fell in love with it, and then promptly destroyed my budget. You'll note that I found a way to adapt: I also listed my revised economy version.
ingredients
- 3/4 ounce Aperol
- 3/4 ounce St. Germain
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 3/4 ounce rosemary-infused simple syrup (see below)
- 2 ounces dry sparkling wine
- Rosemary sprig for garnish
Shake the Aperol, St. Germain, lime juice, and rosemary-infused simple syrup with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a sprig or rosemary. Awesomeness.
economy version ingredients ;-)
- 3/4 ounce Aperol (required!)
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounces (add a few drops more if you like things sweet) rosemary-infused Saft Fläder Elderflower Syrup from Ikea (see below)
- 2 ounces dry sparkling wine or club soda
- Rosemary sprig for garnish
Shake the Aperol, lime juice, and rosemary-infused Saft Fläder Elderflower Syrup with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine or club soda and garnish with a sprig or rosemary. The Ikea syrup is an amazing substitute for St. Germain, though it is sweeter and not *quite* as sophisticated.
rosemary infused syrup recipes
To make the rosemary simple syrup: combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 10 sprigs of rosemary (chopped) to a small saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool, filter out the rosemary (and toss), and refridgerate the syrup.
To make the rosemary-infused Saft Fläder Elderflower Syrup: combine 1 cup of Saft Fläder Elderflower Syrup and 10 springs of rosemary (chopped) to a small saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool, filter out the rosemary (and toss), and refridgerate the syrup.
Note: Use fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary does not work well for this--it makes a bitter, nasty syrup!
