It used to be that we’d think of champagne and sparkling wine as purely special occasions drinks but now bubbly sales are exploding and people are bellying up to the bar for a glass of of it mixed with everything from rum and gin to seasonal fruit and handcrafted syrups to create delicious cocktails. You can do it at home, too, and just in time for the holidays, the author of The Bubbly Bar, The Bubbly Girl herself Maria Hunt joined me on Amy’s Table today.  Listen to the interview.

I asked Maria what to serve for Thanksgiving and she suggested these cocktails:
Ginger Snap: ginger liqueur with sparkling Sake and homemade sour mix
Lava Lamp: Pama Liqueur, Brut Sparkling wine,  and a few pomegranate seeds for garnish

Ginger Snap

Makes 1 cocktail

Thin slices peeled fresh ginger root
1/2 ounce Homemade Sour Mix (recipe follows)
1 ounce Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
4 ounces dry sparkling sake
2 slivers candied ginger, for garnish
Cocktail umbrellas, if you like

Add the ginger and sour mix to a rocks glass and muddle until the ginger is bruised and becomes very fragrant. Strain the ginger and sour mixture into a champagne flute. Top with the ginger liqueur and sparkling sake. Garnish with the candied ginger, and a cocktail umbrella is you’ve got one. To make the Sour Mix, combine one cup sugar and one cup combined fresh lemon and lime juice in a nonreactive pot over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool; and pour into a clean bottle. The sour mix can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Punch is hot for the holidays, too,  and Maria has some great punch recipes in her book.  I LOVE the pomegranate seed studded ice ring. The key to deciding what garnish to use for cocktails is the same as deciding how to garnish  food, the garnish should reflect the ingredients of the cocktail.