Happy New Year’s Evel!!

Can you even believe the year is almost over? As I type, I’m feeling like a well-worn mix tape comprised of half a French press of coffee, two glasses of Lucien Albrecht brut rosé, several glasses of water, two plays of BØRNS’ Dopamine, thoughts of a hot shower, and a slight dread of this evening’s activities. This past year has been a great one, albeit one of highs and lows, interspersed with periods of mayhem and moments of peace. In one breath, I say I’d have it no other way, and in the very next, I dream of a deprivation tank.

C’est la vie!

I’m not quite ready just yet to craft an introspective tirade or a hopeful, inspired declaration for 2016. That will most likely happen this weekend. For now, I still have a writing assignment to finish, a suit to press, and four hours of sleep to catch before the craziest shift of the year. We have nearly 700 reservations on the books, and the last thing I want to do is pop bottles for a roomful of tipsy people. From the way I’m talking, it sounds like I am bereft of life and energy, but, in fact, I’m bursting from the seams and ready to tackle the next project. I just need a few days to reset, to recharge, to freaking sleep.

And then, it’s GO!!

I am reeling on one of the happiest weeks I’ve ever experienced. My best friend, my sister, delivered her first child, a sweet and perfect little girl last Monday, on the winter solstice. Little Adriana Giselle arrived three weeks early. Although I was beyond happy that my sister fared so well and that her daughter was given a clean bill of health, I was bummed because I’d planned on traveling to Florida just after the mayhem of the NYE celebration here at work.

I had it perfectly sketched out. I’d ring in the new year, toast Steve with a glass of Bollinger in the wine cellar, go home around 3:00AM, and draw plans for the upcoming months. Then I’d get a few days to relax and catch up, before flying down to Florida to meet my new niece. I’m laughing at myself right now. How can we even begin to plan things out so perfectly? Seriously. So many other factors are involved, so it is nearly futile to make concrete steps so far out.

And it’s silly that I even tried to plan my life around my sister’s due date, which shifted dramatically this past month. My sister is currently going through many changes, changes that dwarf my own set of circumstances. All of this is a lesson, to me, in letting go. In planning. In leaving room for the what-ifs, the unknowns, the unexpected.

All of this unknown can be quite the stress factor, but at the same time, if you really release it all, basking in the uncertain can be quite comforting. If we can’t do anything about our circumstances beyond doing our best, then why worry at all? Easy to say, right?

I’m closing this eve of New Year’s Eve and trying my hardest to let it all go. I’ve done my best, with the resources I have been given, that I’ve cultivated, and I’m sleeping in peace and filled with hope for the next steps.

Alright. Let’s quit this deep train of thought and have a bubbly, pink cocktail; shall we?!

CHEERS!!

I’m all about the dry, bubbly rosé, whether I crack it for a ball-dropping celebration or for a happy dance that there’s a second season on the books coming up for Dare Devil on Netflix. Those little rewards call for sweet celebrations.

This tart and effervescent cocktail sports a base of St. George Spirits “Terroir” Gin. It was the very first gin I couldn’t get over. It seriously shifted my love of gin to a deeper, richer level. Wow. Maybe this is the rosé talking, but if I haven’t edited this sentence by the time this post goes live in the morning, then it’s definitely true love.

The piney, aromatic notes of sage, laurel, and citrus are perfect pairings with tart cranberry and the crisp, fruity brut rosé. It’s the fitting sip to the toast in the new year and to that crazy, exciting unknown. I added a little freshly juiced lemon to brighten the red fruit notes, and the bubbles complete the picture.

Add a spring of rosemary, and it’s over from there. Deep sighs and smiles.

---

tart cranberry gin sparkler

---

• 1 ounce St. George Spirits “Terroir” Gin
• 1/2 ounce cranberry simple {recipe below}
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3-4 ounces Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rosé
• fresh cranberries, for garnish
• freshly clipped sprigs of rosemary, for garnish

1. In a mixing tin, build the gin, cranberry simple, and lemon juice.
2. Add ice and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a Champagne flute and slowly top with the brut rosé.
4. Garnish with cranberries on a skewer and a sprig of freshly clipped rosemary.
5. Bring it, 2016!!

• For a fun variation, substitute the cranberry simple with DRAM Apothecary’s Juniper Rose Syrup or Leopold Bros. New England Cranberry.

---

cranberry simple syrup

---

• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ounces fresh cranberries

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
2. Bring to a boil, add the cranberries, and reduce heat to a slow simmer.
3. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries just start to pop.
4. Remove from heat and let cool completely, smashing a few cranberries to disperse both color and flavor to the simple syrup.
5. Strain off the solids and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I originally thought about crafting a gin cocktail, combined with pear simple syrup, and Cava. I just love that flavor combination. Instead, I opted upon a punchy, bright pink cocktail, since I had a lot of cranberries on hand in my fridge. It’s the tail-end of the holiday season, and I figured I should stretch out as much festivity as I possibly could.

This particular brut rosé has been a favorite of mine for several years. You can especially find amazing values in cremants {sparkling wines} from other regions in France, other than Champagne, such as Alsace and Bourgogne. They are made in the same style as the versions from Champagne but lacking the pricier tag. This one is consistently delicious, year after year. And it’s comfortably priced at or under $20.

More, please. Yes, please. Keep it coming, please.

---

lucien albrecht, cremant d’alsace, brut rosé, mv

---

• on the eyes  –  pale, copper-tinted pink, with persistent bubbles.
• on the nose  –  bright red fruits, boasting aromas of strawberry and raspberry, faint toasty aroma of toast and burnt orange peel.
• on the palate  –  dry, with bright acidity, confirmation of red fruits, dried apricot, brioche, and a long, toasty finish and creamy mouth-feel.
• on the table  –  perfect all by itself or with butternut and apple soup, grilled cheese, or peach caprese salad.
• on the shelf  –  around $20.
• on the ears  –  paired with BØRNS “The Emotion” from their album, Dopamine. I think that the bubbles travel at the same speed as this beautiful, poetic, emotion-filled song’s pace. I’ve loved this album ever since I first discovered it over at Yossy Arefi’s blog. Parts of the song hint to me of Björk’s vocal stretch, with an ethereal lilt and, at the same time, a heaviness of words. Love this so much. It’s been on repeat an embarrassing number of times this week.

Cheers to the unwritten future, to the glowing silver lining, to the lines we draw, which connect the dots we’ve dreamed about in our minds. I’m so excited for 2016. Every step I take reminds me that we can truly create our destinies, to an extent. I’d rather die trying and digging deeper than coasting through and simply hoping hard with one eye open.

How are you forging the upcoming year? What goals and crazy thoughts do you have racing through your mind right now? And how are you going to keep the momentum going? That’s one thing I have difficulty with keeping at a constant pace.

Many hugs, warm thoughts, and MUCH gratitude,

Jayme