Blending wine and mixology
Expand your wine enjoyment with delicious wine-based cocktails
We adore a pure, unaltered glass of good wine. That said, wine can also be an excellent, if often overlooked, cocktail ingredient. Here are a few wine-based cocktails, mixers and infusions that illustrate that wine does indeed have a place at the cocktail table.
Classic wine-based cocktails
Perfect for: cocktail night at your home bar.
While wine isn't the most common ingredient in popular cocktails, it isn't excluded altogether. If you're a wine lover who has wound up in a cocktail bar or if you're enjoying an evening at your cocktail-loving friend's house, here are some cocktail classics that use wine as a key ingredient:
- Sangria is a wine punch that combines red wine with brandy, citrus, soda, and other fresh fruit. Great for a summer garden party.
- A New York Sour is made by mixing a whiskey sour (whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white), then slowly pouring red wine over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top of the drink.
- Mimosas top champagne with orange juice, while Bellinis add peach purée to prosecco.
- A French 75 combines champagne, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup for a light and classy cocktail.
- A Kir Royale is a straightforward cocktail that combines champagne with Crème de cassis for a beverage with a subtly sweet, acidic character.
Wine Spritzers
Perfect for: summer day refreshments
You probably know someone who loves nothing more than pouring themselves a refreshing white wine spritzer when the sun comes out. These light, uplifting wine cocktails owe their enormous popularity partly to being incredibly simple to make, as they only require you to mix wine with a type of carbonated beverage, before adding some ice to keep the drink suitably chilled.
For many, the term 'spritzer' immediately conjures thoughts of a white wine spritzer, which is made by mixing white wine with sparkling water at roughly a 3:1 ratio. However, since a wine spritzer is made by mixing wine with any carbonated beverage, you have a wealth of different wine spritzers at your disposal that you can enjoy during barbecue season. Some popular examples include the following:
- Tinto de verano. A drink that translates as 'summer red,' tinto de verano is made by mixing red wine with an equal amount of lemonade. Serve it with ice and garnish it with slices of lemon or orange.
- Calimocho. While countries like the UK and the US may be guilty of overlooking wine when it comes to cocktails and mixed drinks, the same cannot be said of the Spanish. Calemocho (also spelt Kalimotxo) originated in Spain's Basque region and involves combining equal parts red wine and cola. Like tinto de verano, it is served with plenty of ice and lemon or orange slices for garnish.
- Aperol spritz. While the Aperol arguably steals the show in this cocktail, it is essentially a spin on a prosecco spritzer. To make this drink, combine equal parts prosecco and Aperol and finish with a dash of soda water. Serve your Aperol spritz in a white wine glass with ice and a slice of orange.
- Cordial spritzers. A popular way of livening up white wine spritzers is to add a dash of cordial to the mix. Elderflower cordial and peach cordial are two popular choices, but any light or floral cordials or juices have the potential to offer a welcome addition to the mix.
Mulled wine
Perfect for: warming up during the cold months.
Mulled wine means warmth, sweetness, and spices. This hot wine beverage is perfect for warming up during the cooler months and is made by adding spices like cloves, star anise, and cinnamon to a simmering saucepan of wine to infuse their flavours into the drink. Sugar is also dissolved and stirred into the mix to give the drink its signature sweetness, while some recipes add fresh citrus. To get the most out of your mulled wine, consider these tips:
- Keep your mulled wine on a low simmer to avoid reducing it too much.
- Batch cook your mulled wine using a whole wine bottle, then allow it to cool before refrigerating. This mix should last for around a week and will save you time with future servings. Leaving the mixture to sit for a few hours or overnight will also allow the flavors from the spices to develop further, making for an even more delicious drink.
- If you choose to refrigerate your mulled wine mix after making it, you can also enjoy it cold, served over ice, turning this famous winter warmer into a summer sensation.
- To add an extra kick and more depth to mulled wine, you can also add an orange liqueur such as Cointreau.
Turn your wine into wine syrup
Perfect for: adding a twist to spirit-forward classic cocktails
While most wine-related cocktails and infusions see the wine take centre stage, this doesn't have to be the case. Turning your wine into a delicious wine syrup allows it to influence your beverages without taking centre stage, giving your cocktails a sophisticated sweetness and allowing you to try variations of your favorites.
How to make a wine syrup
Begin by pouring your wine into a saucepan (we like to use red wine as it produces a richer syrup, but you can use white or sparkling wine too). Bring it to the boil, lower the heat to a moderate simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the wine slightly.
Once you have your wine reduction, weigh it out, then mix it with an equal amount of sugar (granulated is fine, or you can use demerara or brown sugar for a richer flavor). Gently heat the wine and sugar mix at a low simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Once you're happy that your syrup is ready, take the saucepan off the heat, leave it to cool, then refrigerate it for up to three weeks.
Cocktails to use your wine syrup in
Once you've prepared your wine syrup, you can start adding it to cocktails. Here are a few we've picked out that we'd recommend.
Red wine old fashioned
- 60ml/2oz cognac or other type of brandy
- 7.5ml/0.25oz red wine syrup
- 3 dashes angostura bitters
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir well with ice. Fine strain into your Spiegelau Perfect Serve D.O.F Glass with a single large ice cube and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Red wine margarita
- 60ml/2oz tequila blanco
- 30ml/1oz fresh lime juice
- 22ml/0.75oz red wine syrup
- 3 dashes orange bitters
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Fine strain into an ice-filled Spiegelau Perfect Serve D.O.F Glass or serve 'up' in a Spiegelau Perfect Serve Coupette and garnish with an orange twist.
White wine French 75
- 60ml/2oz gin
- 15ml/0.5oz fresh lemon juice
- 15ml/0.5oz white wine syrup
- Champagne/sparkling wine
Add the gin, lemon juice, and white wine syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into your Spiegelau Perfect Serve Coupette or champagne flute, and top with your champagne or sparkling wine of choice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Whether you're looking to expand your palate or want to use up a wine that's a little past its best, wine-based cocktails are a great way of mixing things up while maintaining a wine theme in your drinks. There are options for every mood and preference, and any time of the year, so pick which wine-based cocktail works best for you and run with it.
Locations
