Make It A Wine Cocktail

Yesterday I posted Ian Normandin’s post about vegan wines. Vegan Wines Today, I am giving you my article that I submitted to him, that he posted in the Arlington Wine & Liquor’s news letter, Ian Normandin at Arlington Wine and Liquor, https://www.arlingtonwine.net/. Ian asked me to write something about wine cocktails.

Here is my article that I submitted to Ian.

As we all know wine, and alcohol in general, have been around for many 1000’s of years. Making wine cocktails has been around for about the same amount of time too. People like to flavor their alcohols with all kinds of different flavors to make the alcohol taste better, while still achieving and enhancing the effects of intoxication.

A wine cocktail is a mixed drink where wine is the primary alcohol, with distilled alcohol or another mixer added. Most wines used in cocktails today are sparkling, fortified, aromatized, or distilled spirits made from wine. On top of the base ingredients, a cocktail can contain any number of liquids, fruits, infusions, dilutions, and different flavorings. Any kind of fruit can be used to make a wine cocktail, but the most common fruits used are citrus fruits, berries and stone fruits. Wine, or beverages made from wine, add complexity to the sharp taste of high proof spirits, and is an indispensable ingredient behind the modern bar. Wine cocktails as we know them today, were created in 1948 by Giuseppi Cipriani at Harry’s Bar in Venice.

Sometimes wine cocktails go by the names of aperitif, wine spritzers or wine coolers too. People are often misled, thinking that wine cocktails contain less alcohol than just plain wine itself. Sometimes this is true, but often the cocktails contain a higher amount of alcohol, like in the case of the Sidecar or French 75. A Sidecar is made from cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice, it’s believed to be named after the motorcycle attachment and traces its origins to London at the end of World War I.

People all around the world have their own versions of interesting wine cocktails. They have a very long and diverse history. In Ancient Greece, they liked to mix in a little honey and seawater with their wines. In China, they infused their wines with different herbs and various roots. The Hungarians have been adding a variety of spices and herbs, including wormwood, into their wines since the 15th century. The Minoan Cretans mixed beer, mead, and wine 3,000 years ago. The Spanish are famous for their many types of Sangria that incorporates fruit and other alcohols, such as brandy, into their wines. The French and Italians like to use Vermouth as a type of wine cocktail, since after all, Vermouth started as a fortified wine that was used for medicinal purposes. Italians also love their Limoncello, which is also a wine cocktail. Wine cocktails are popular all over the world and the possibilities are endless. All it takes is a little creativity and imagination.

The holidays are here, and are being celebrated around the world in many different ways. One way to ring in the Holiday “spirit” is by drinking mulled wines, also a form of a wine cocktail. Mulled wines are wines that have been warmed and are enhanced with fruits and spices. It is believed mulled wines were created in the 2nd Century in Rome. Today, they are popular around the world and go by many names. It is called mulled wine in England and the U.S. but goes by other names in other countries including Glühwein (Germany), Glögg (Norway and Denmark), bisschopswijn (The Netherlands), vin chaud (France), vinho quente (Portugal and Brazil), svařené víno (Czech Republic), Sıcak Şarap (Turkey).

Wine is definitely great on its own, but you can do so much more with wine too. So this Holiday Season do something a little different for a change and make it a wine cocktail instead.

Once again, many thanks Ian for allowing me to collaborate with you. I look forward to future collaborations.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone. Stay safe, stay well, and drink responsibly. ‘Til next time.