Appetizers and cocktails make a great start to any party or gathering. It’s a nice way to tide people over until dinner is ready and everyone has arrived. These simple but good cheese-and-pickle skewers can be easily prepped beforehand. They combine sweet, crunchy pickles with mild, creamy cheddar cheese–the refreshing cocktail onions balance everything out nicely.
The cocktails can be made in a pitcher, shortly beforehand, freeing you to socialize when guests arrive. But cocktails can be tricky: ratios do matter, as do individual ingredients. The first time I made this, I was a little impatient. I’d just made an elaborate dinner and thought I’d wing it. How much could ratios really matter?
Well, the result was a sickly sweet, diluted drink; it was barely tolerable. In part, that was due to the wine. I bought the only sparkling red available at the grocery store–suffice it to say I should have tasted it first. It tasted so artificially sweet! So make sure you like the wine and follow the ratio of wine to sparkling orange soda (feel free to play around with the amount of whiskey, however).
Even after my disastrous first attempt, I knew this cocktail had potential, so I searched for the perfect sparkling red wine. Don’t choose one that’s overly sweet. I settled on an Italian Lambrusco (which is delicious in its own right) with just the right combination of bittersweet and earthy tones. This, paired with the Orangina, made for an excellent, refreshing cocktail.
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Cheddar and Pickle Skewers
Print recipe
| From magazine | slightly adapted from Everyday Food January/February 2012 |
Ingredients
- 1 Pound white cheddar cheese (cut into cubes)
- 1 16 oz jar of cocktail onions
- 1 16 oz jar of whole sweet pickles (cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 Package 4-inch skewers
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Onto each 4-inch skewer thread a combination of sweet pickles, cocktail onions, and cheddar cheese cubes. | |
Sparkling Red Wine Cocktails
| Serves | 8 |
| From magazine | Everyday Food January/February 2012 |
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 1/2 Cups Lambrusco (or other sparkling red wine)
- 24 Ounces sparkling orange beverage (such as Orangina)
- 4 to 8 Ounces whiskey (according to taste)
- 1 orange (cut into wedges)
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Mix together ⅓ cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and spread on a plate. In a large pitcher, combine 5 ½ Lambrusco or other sparkling red wine, 24 ounces sparkling orange beverage, and 4 to 8 ounces whiskey (depending on how strong you want the cocktails). Rub an orange wedge around the rims of eight wine glasses, then dip glasses in cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Pour cocktail mixture into glasses and garnish with orange slices. | |
