A fairly new tradition in our household are t<hese Cherry Thyme Prosecco Cocktails. I started making them last Christmas and loved them so much that they carried on to the New Year and on numerous times thereafter.
After having had a full-blown kitchen fail on Christmas Eve that involved burning a pot so badly that I needed to throw it away (it happens to the best of us) I realized in the whole scheme of things that the memory of me burning Christmas Eve dinner will be more fun and memorable than the memory of the dinner that I was supposed to make. Although it wasn’t a feast I had originally envisioned one good thing that came out of it were these impromptu Cherry Thyme Prosecco Cocktails.
I love Prosecco but I LOVE Prosecco cocktails. The thyme really makes this drink elegant and delightful. You can make the cherry mixture days ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge until you are ready for a drink. I use an inexpensive Prosecco to make these, but you can use whatever sparkling white wine you like.
This Cherry Thyme Prosecco cocktail is a bit more complex than its traditional counterparts the Mimosa and the Poinsettia. The thyme lends an earthy note which combines well with the sweetness of the cherry.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of Prosecco or sparkling white wine
- 1 10-ounce can of whole cherries (not pie filling, but canned cherries)
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- lemon
Instructions
- Drain the cherry juice into a saucepan. Put the cherries in a jar for later.
- Simmer the juice and thyme over low heat for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool.
- Pour the cooled juice over the cherries.
- Put about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the cherry juice in the bottom of a champagne glass. Add one cherry to the glass. Pour the Prosecco over the cherries. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice in each glass. Someone told me once, that lemon is to cocktails as salt is to food. It enhances the flavor. It really makes a difference here.
Tips to make Cherry Thyme Prosecco Cocktails
There are so many ways to source the ingredients for this cocktail. I like using canned Cherries as the sweetness of the syrup will add a nice cherry flavour to your cocktail.
I also prefer fresh lime juice in my cocktails and always squeeze the lime juice into the cocktail rather than soaking a piece of lime in the drink. The lime juice will enhance the flavour of the cocktail more than the piece of lime.
What to serve these cocktails with
I usually serve these Prosecco cocktails when I am preparing a big feast. I usually make them during our Christmas meal or during our thanksgiving meal. These Prosecco cocktails taste great with Italian dishes especially with cheesy pasta or with a baked chicken dish.
