Wine

Dia de los Muertos

November 2, 2019 by Natalie Leave a Comment

The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is the first two days of November. It’s an ode to the afterlife and a reminder that death is nothing to be afraid of. I was so honored to team up with one of my favorite mezcals, Banhez, to make an offrenda to my father Alexander Jacob for Dia de los Muertos.

In most regions of Mexico, practices developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes (“Day of the Innocents”) but also as Día de los Angelitos (“Day of the Little Angels”); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (“Day of the Dead”).

The ofrendas, as the altars are called, are carefully assembled using many traditional elements, but each of them is unique on its own. They can be personalized with the dead person’s favorite food, mementos from their lives and their favorite items. Some traditional elements would be food items like tamales, pumpkin, pan de muerto (bread of dead), and sugar skulls. Beverages would include tequila, mezcal, pulque, atole and hibiscus tea. My father was Italian and loved to eat so I made spaghetti with red sauce (gravy as we call it) and meatballs. I also included a side of bread and parmesan cheese which no Italian meal can be without!

My father also loved red wine and I really wanted to incorporate that element into a cocktail for the ofrenda with Bahnez. I put a simple twist on the New Your sour to come up with a drink that’s still authentic and also complements the ingredients of the food.

Oaxacan Sour, serves 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Banhez Mezcal

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup

Float red wine

Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish

Add all your ingredients, besides wine, to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Float red wine and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.

Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Above the ofrenda is my favorite photo of my father along with some flowers. The scent and bright colors of flowers, particularly marigolds, are meant to guide the spirits to their altars. Glasses of water are usually left out to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey. I hope this will inspire you to honor someone that is important to you that is no longer with us. I also hope that this Oaxacan Sour will quench your thirst too. After a long journey, I like to drink mezcal. Remembering and missing my father today and every day. xo

Cranberry Mulled Wine for Fall Entertaining

November 19, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

Warm drinks are so cozy and soothing to the soul this time of year. To be perfectly honest, my soul has been feeling a little down lately so it needs all the soothing it can get. I’ve teamed up with Santa Margherita Wines to share a super easy mulled wine recipe that is perfect for Fall and holiday entertaining. The only thing better than indulging in a warm cozy cup of spiced wine is sharing it with the people you love.

I used Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Reserva for this Cranberry Mulled Wine recipe. An authentic Italian Chianti made from grapes grown in the heart of Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region. The aromas of this complex red wine range from cherries and plums to gladiolus flowers and earthy flint which makes it a perfect pairing for the baking spices associated with mulled wine. In addition to using classic mulled wine ingredients, I also added cranberries to make it festive for Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Mulled Wine, makes 6 servings

1 bottle of Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Reserva
1/2 cup cranberries
1/4 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 small oranges
10 whole cloves
3 whole star anise

First slice one orange into wheels and juice the other orange. If you’re using a vanilla bean instead of extract, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the bean into the wine. Add your wine, spices, juice and fruit to a saucepan and turn the heat up to medium, until the wine is hot. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and keep warm until ready to serve. Before serving use a slotted spoon to remove all of the spices from the wine, and then ladle into mugs. Garnish with cranberries, a cinnamon stick, and a slice of orange.

Mulled wine has a distinct, spiced flavor brought out all the more by sipping it hot. If you prefer something boozier, you can add a few ounces of brandy, bourbon, rye or even rum! I love the tart and fruity finish that the cranberries added to this mulled wine recipe. Santa Margherita Chianti Reserva made the perfect base for the mulled wine because of it’s bright, round, warm, dry, earthy finish.

It’s been a little hard for me to get into the holiday spirit this year. Even just thinking about making this mulled wine has me more excited for Thanksgiving though! I hope you’ll try this Cranberry Mulled Wine recipe and please send some holiday cheer my way in the comments below. xo

Sparkling Rosé Paloma

November 7, 2018 by Natalie 3 Comments

It’s always rosé season in this house! So excited to team up with 90+ Cellars for this post to share my Sparkling Rosé Paloma recipe with you.

If you haven’t heard of 90+ Cellars, it’s a really cool wine brand that curates a portfolio of wines from all over the globe. They love great wine and their mission is to make drinking great wine easier and more affordable for everyone. They do this by buying wine at a discount from acclaimed wineries and vineyards — then they are able to sell great wine at a reduced price under their label. Thus bringing better wine to more people at a lower price. It’s a pretty brilliant concept!

I’ve used their Sparkling Rosé in this recipe which is lovely in a glass on its own but also works marvelously in cocktails. 90+ Cellars Sparkling Rosé is made with Pinot Noir grapes from Northern Italy. It is pale pink in color, dry, fruity, and has charming effervescence. It’s notes of strawberry, passionfruit, and rose petals make it perfect for complimenting spirits and adding a delightful flavor to cocktails.

Sparkling Rosé Paloma, serves 1

1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila

1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup (1:1)

top with 90+ Cellars Sparkling Rosé

sprigs of thyme, for shaking with and garnish

grapefruit wedges, for garnish

ancho chile salt, for rimming

First, make your ancho chile salt by combining equal parts salt and ancho chile powder. I also sprinkled in some crushed red pepper for extra texture. Rim the edge of your serving glass by running a lime wedge around it and then dipping it into a bowl of your prepared ancho chile salt.

Next, add tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup and thyme to a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake, and then strain into your salted glass filled with ice. Top with 90+ Cellars Sparkling Rosé and garnish with a sprig of thyme and grapefruit wedge.

Have I ever told you how much I love Palomas? I do. I do.

They’re citrusy and oh so refreshing. They’re like little fizzy effervescent grapefruit margaritas. Then I went ahead and added rosé to it and made it 100,000,000x better.

Traditionally a Paloma is made with tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda. I like to make mine with the fresh juice of lime and grapefruit and then I use club soda to add the carbonated element. Here I simply swapped out soda for 90+ Cellars Sparkling Rosé and it truly came out amazing! This Sparkling Rosé Paloma is fruity, juicy, fresh, clean, fizzy and herbaceous. Did I mention delicious? Why yes it is!

I hope you’ll be enjoying one this weekend. You can check out 90+ Cellars website here to view and purchase their entire wine collection online. Cheers everyone! xo

DIY Summer Sangria Bar with World Market

July 24, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of World Market. Thank you for reading the sponsored content that makes Arsenic-Lace possible!

Recently I was super excited to team up with Cost Plus World Market to create a DIY Summer Sangria Bar. I shopped at my local Woodland Park, NJ store where all the store associates were friendly and accommodating. They eagerly helped me find the products I needed for my Sangria Bar. When setting up a Sangria Bar it is so important to have all the appropriate bar tools and accessories. I found so many affordable, not mention, stylish options in store. Cost Plus World Market is definitely my one stop shop for entertaining essentials!

I developed 3 easy, delicious, and unique sangria recipes using wine from World Market as well. It took me by surprise the wide variety of wine they carried in the store. I picked Radio Boca Tempranillo for the red which is a dry and fruity Spanish wine perfect for a traditional sangria. The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc for the white which is grassy, herbaceous, and has notes of tropical fruit. This crisp, lush, and floral Rosè from Louis Jadot tastes like Summer and is a great pink sangria option.

I picked items with tropical details for my Sangria Bar set up to get everyone in the Summer spirit! A woven fiber table runner together with palm leaf placemats add texture and style when decorating your table. I also used added gold accents along with a gold pineapple ice bucket, gold and marble tray, gold stemless wine glasses, and gold spoons. These inexpensive glass carafes were the perfect option for having multiple vessels to serve the sangria in. Having extra fruit out for guests to customize their sangria is key and these cute blush bowls completed the look while also adding a pop of color.

Head over to the World Market Blog to see the full recipes and how I put together this DIY Summer Sangria Bar. Overall I’m so happy with how it turned out! I’ve added all my picks that I used from World Market below just in case you want to shop them. If you’d rather shop in person at a Cost Plus World Market near you, you can use their convenient store locator on their website. Happy shopping and drinking! 😉

Tropical Mango Frosé

July 13, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

We all know that rosé and frosé have been pretty much the official drinks of Summer for the last few years now. I love a glass of pink wine on a hot day, so why not make it frozen as well? I’ve teamed up with Kinky Beverages to bring you this delicious and refreshing recipe for Tropical Mango Frosé using their Kinky Pink variety. Kinky Pink is a liqueur made with super premium vodka that has been distilled five times with succulent mango, blood orange, and passion fruit. It is the perfect addition to frosé because it adds so much fruity flavor and a little bit more ABV.

Tropical Mango Frosé, serves up to 6

1 bottle of Rosé (I used Le Grand Noir)

3 oz. Kinky Pink

1 1/2 oz. lemon juice

1 cup of fresh or frozen mango

2 large ice cube trays

blender

Last year I developed an easy frosé recipe on Palm Springs Style. Instead of freezing the rosé and additional ingredients in a sheet pan and scraping it to make shaved ice I made rosé ice cubes. This allows you to blend the frosé to order without the mess and also lets you tailor how many serving you’re making.

First, make the rosé ice cubes by pouring the wine into your ice cube trays. Top each mold with a little bit of water just to ensure proper freezing. I cut my mango fresh and also froze it ahead of time. The key to a great frosé is having as many of the ingredients frozen before blending. That makes the consistency of the frosé more thick and slushy like.

Next, in the pitcher of your blender add 1 cup of frozen mango, 1 1/2 oz. lemon juice, 3 oz. Kinky Pink, and 6 rosé ice cubes (about a half a bottle). Blend on high and then pour into your desired serving vessel. If you want to make 1 serving cut this recipe in half and if you want to serve 6 people double it. Garnish your frosé with an edible flower like an orchid.

Sip and enjoy!

I’m so glad I decided to use this Kinky Pink in my Tropical Mango Frosé. It adds so much bursting, fruity, tropical flavors and compliments the fresh mango and wine so well. I thought this recipe was sweet enough without adding any additional sugar. If you feel that you want this Tropical Mango Frosé more on the sweeter side, I would recommend adding 3/4 oz. of simple syrup to the recipe above. I hope you’re enjoying your Summer and make sure next time you’re sitting poolside to whip up a batch of this Tropical Mango Frosé. Or if you’re like me, just drink it and pretend you’re poolside. Either way, the flavors will most certainly transport you somewhere tropical or wherever your heart desires´. 😉

Summer Solstice Sparkling Chamomile Sangria

June 21, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

The Summer solstice marks the official start of Summer. With it brings the longest day and shortest night of the year. You might need sangria for the longest day of the year, correct? In light of Summer solstice, I made Sparkling Chamomile Sangria with Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. just for the occasion. After all, I do wait all year for the first day of Summer — every year. A delicious bubbly wine together with chamomile tea, elderflower liqueur, lemon, and strawberry seems like the perfect combination to ring in the first day of Summer.

Today also marks my 2nd blogiversary. I can not believe it! We’re going to need more prosecco!

Sparkling Chamomile Sangria, serves 4-6

1 bottle Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G

2 cups chamomile tea

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup gin

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup elderflower liqueur

lemon wheels

strawberries

First, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 2 chamomile tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Remove bags and discard. While tea is still hot add your 1/2 cup of sugar and stir until fully dissolved.

Next, cut up the fruit and then add it to your pitcher or large serving vessel. Pour tea, lemon juice, gin, and elderflower liqueur into the vessel and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours. The longer you let the fruit steep the better!

Just before serving your Sparkling Chamomile Sangria, add ice and finally top with a bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. In this recipe, I only used 1 bottle of prosecco, but if you want to make a boozier sangria I suggest using 2 bottles instead.

I love adding an iced tea element to cocktails in the Summer. Especially in sangria and punches! Tea adds a lot of fruity, floral, and herbal elements that can compliment wine and spirits nicely. In this case, the chamomile adds floral notes that are a perfect match to the aromatic, fresh, fruity, and sweet floral aspects ofSanta Margherita Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. Santa Margherita grows luscious, aromatic Glera grapes in the gentle hills of Valdobbiadene, a town synonymous with the finest Prosecco Superiore, and DOCG status – the highest and most distinctive classification possible.

Please sip and enjoy this delicious Sparkling Chamomile Sangria. I’ve been waiting a long time to say this — happy first official day of Summer everyone!

Food + Wine Pairing for Spring Entertaining

April 30, 2018 by Natalie 17 Comments

I’m so excited to be teaming up with Santa Margherita Wines this year to show you how I enjoy drinking their wines at home. Spring is such a busy time for entertaining. The weather is getting nicer and Mother’s Day, plus many holiday weekends are fast approaching. Having some ideas of what food to serve and what kind of drinks to pair it with is so important.

For as much as I love cocktails, I also love to enjoy a glass of wine. Wine is also so much easier to have on hand and serve especially when you’re entertaining. I’ve put together two easy dishes and paired them with Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé.

Spring Pea Salad with Strawberries, serves 4

Ingredients

8 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup snow peas or snap peas, trimmed

3/4 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup fresh peas

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

For the dressing

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. champagne vinegar

1 tsp. honey

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Arrange greens, mint, snow/snap peas, strawberries, peas, and feta on a serving platter. Whisk oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad.

Cantaloupe & Proscuitto Skewers

Ingredients

3 oz. package of prosciutto

1 cantaloupe

basil leaves

fresh black pepper

Cut the cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces. cut each piece of prosciutto in half and roll individually. Place a toothpick into each piece of prosciutto and then into the cantaloupe. Sprinkle with sliced basil and fresh black pepper.

These recipes were so easy and they took minutes to whip up. Talk about some super easy peasy entertaining ideas! I love using fresh fruit in salads and appetizers in the Spring/Summer and it really brings out the fruity notes in the wine. Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé has a full bouquet of pleasing floral aromas with hints of red berry and crafted with a blend of white wine made from Chardonnay and Glera grapes and a red varietal of Malbec. It is delicate in flavor but also vibrant and well rounded which makes it a deliciously easy drinking wine. This pale bubbly pink wine is tasty, aromatic, and a great companion to savory appetizers, salads, and seafood dishes. I absolutely adore how it complemented the spring pea salad and prosciutto skewers.

What’s your favorite food and wine pairing? I hope you will consider these options next time you’re entertaining!

Easy Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonics

March 22, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

My go-to drink lately has been a port and tonic, especially when I’m cooking dinner. They’re so easy to make, are super refreshing, and bonus: they’re low ABV! The first time I had one was when Ethan’s mom made a recipe from The Kitchn over Christmas. I decided to take this drink a step further and made these Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonics.

Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonics, serves 1

2 oz. white port

1/2 oz. lemon juice

4 oz. good quality tonic (I used Fever Tree bitter lemon)

4 blackberries and a pinch of basil for muddling, extra for garnish

First, add the port and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with the blackberries and basil. Give it a quick muddle, just until the port has been infused with the blackberries and basil. There’s no need to shake this, so just double strain the mixture into the serving vessel of your choice. In this case, I used a double rocks glass. Add ice and then top with tonic. Garnish with a sprig of basil and a blackberry.

If you’re not familiar, port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine that is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, though it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. A white port has the sweetness of a ruby port but is much lighter and fresher, which makes it perfect for this Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonic.

Traditionally, white port and tonics are a Summer drink but I love to enjoy them all year round. They make the perfect aperitif before dinner because they are sweet, but not too sweet, and awaken the appetite. I added a splash of lemon juice to brighten and help incorporate the use of fruit and herbs. Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonics are definitely my new favorite drink and I can’t wait to come up with more flavor combinations. I’ve always wanted to take a trip to the colorful city of Lisbon, so let’s take a sip and pretend we’re there! xo

The Perfect Galentine’s Day Brunch Cocktail

February 2, 2018 by Natalie 3 Comments

I’m not sure if you guys know but I’m a HUGE Valentine’s Day fan. Any excuse to wear pink and shake up a cocktail (or bake) is the perfect holiday for me. The counterpart to V-Day? Well, it’s Galentine’s Day! What better excuse to celebrate your fabulous self by getting together with your lady friends for brunch, drinking a cocktail or two, doing fun DIYs, and watching your favorite romantic chick-flicks. I’ve come up with the perfect Galentine’s Day brunch cocktail that’s both easy and delicious.

No party would be complete without a fun bar cart set up either. I got the #Gals banner and garland from Target for $3 each.

Raspberry Sorbet Bellini, serves 1

1 scoop raspberry sorbet

1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur

sparkling rosé wine

edible flowers and fresh raspberries for garnish

These raspberry sorbet bellini’s are so easy to assemble and makes them the perfect entertaining cocktail. Simply scoop the sorbet into a champagne glass and add 1/2 oz. of elderflower liqueur and then top with the sparkling rosé. Garnish with fresh raspberries and an edible flower garnish.

SO EASY RIGHT?

I have a feeling you will be drinking these raspberry sobet bellini’s long after Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day comes and goes. I think this is my new every Sunday brunch cocktail. You can get creative and change what type of liqueur you use, the flavor of sorbet, as well as switch to a regular sparkling wine or champagne instead of rosé. ‘Tis the season for pink and red and I couldn’t help myself but pick raspberries and a little pink wine to go along with it. The Lamberti Rosé Sparkling wine I used was great for the price, bright, refreshing with lasting flavors of apple and raspberry that complemented the sorbet perfectly.

Are you planning on having a Galentine’s Day get together with your bffs? I hope so and I hope you will try this cocktail out. If you do don’t forget to let me know how it turns out in the comments below. I also started a hashtag over on Instagram, so snap some pics and tag it with #ALinmyglass so I can see. Stay tuned for more Valentine’s Day treats. Cheers everyone! Happy Weekend! xo

Champagne Cupcakes

December 30, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Yes, the Champagne posts continue! It is, after all, New Year’s and what else would I be drinking? I made these Champagne Cupcakes for tomorrow night because the only thing better than drinking Champagne would be eating it. Okay, maybe I’m wrong. Drinking Champagne is definitely better. But these will pair perfectly with a glass of bubbly!

Champagne Cupcakes, makes 1 dozen cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt

1/2 cup sparkling wine

Champagne Frosting

For the frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup sparkling wine

1 tsp. vanilla extract

sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 350°. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together sour cream/yogurt and sparkling wine. Slowly add wine mixture and flour mixture into sugar and eggs.

Distribute batter evenly with a tablespoon among a lined tray and place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool about 15 minutes. While they’re cooling you can make the icing.

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine all frosting ingredients and beat until smooth. Fill a pastry bag and frost the cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles. I used these gold ones.

This is the same recipe that I made when I did Rosé Champagne Mini Cupcakes for A Beautiful Mess. I changed the wine to regular sparkling wine instead of Rosé and didn’t add food coloring to the batter or frosting. I used a Prosecco because I didn’t want to use the really good stuff. I’m saving that for midnight! These Champagne Cupcakes still turned out pretty good. The first time I made this recipe I used sour cream. This time around I did Greek yogurt and I have to admit that the sour cream ones were better. So go with the sour cream! They still came out light and fluffy but were a little less moist.

The best part about making these is you get to drink the rest of the sparkling wine. Make sure you save a glass to wash these Champagne Cupcakes down with though! I hope you will be making these for your New Year’s Eve festivities. Let me know how they turn out in the comments below. Happy New Year everyone! xo

Wine

Cranberry Mulled Wine, makes 6 servings

Sparkling Rosé Paloma, serves 1

Tropical Mango Frosé, serves up to 6

Sparkling Chamomile Sangria, serves 4-6

Spring Pea Salad with Strawberries, serves 4

Ingredients

For the dressing

Cantaloupe & Proscuitto Skewers

Ingredients

Blackberry Basil White Port and Tonics, serves 1

Champagne Cupcakes, makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Champagne Frosting

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