New Year’s Eve Party Design Tips and Champagne Martini Recipe
First, I want to talk about martinis. I think martinis are great cocktails but at times I do find they are a bit strong for me. Here is a recipe that I created that adds either Champagne or Prosecco to your French Martini. I think it creates a milder drink and I like that I can drink more than one and not be too affected by the alcohol.
Hint: I add a bit of ginger beer to my drink to dilute it just a little. The flavor will be a bit different, but you can sip it at ease without worrying about having too much to drink throughout the evening. I do still add the Chambord or Creme de Cassis and vodka, but just add equal parts champagne and ginger beer. It’s just a bit less potent…at least for me.
"I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not."- Coco Chanel
Did you know that the French Martini Cocktail gets its sweet and creamy texture due to the pineapple juice and Chambord black raspberry liqueur? The primary spirit is vodka, though sometimes rum is used instead.
What is Chambord
Chambord is produced in the Loire Valley from red and black raspberries, Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey and cognac. Whole raspberries and blackberries are steeped in French spirits for a period of several weeks to produce a fruit infusion.
What is Creme de cassis
Cassis was first commercially produced in 1841 in Burgundy, France. Made from macerated blackcurrant berries, the intensely tart liqueur has enjoyed moderate fame over the past few years, with more and more distilleries taking a chance on the fruity liqueur, and more and more bartenders incorporating it into cocktails both modern and classic.
Cassis or Chambord
Recipe For Champagne French Martini
5 ingredients
Drinks
1/2 oz Pineapple juice
Frozen
1 Ice
Beer, Wine & Liquor
1 oz Champagne or Prosecco
1 oz Vodka
Other
1/2 oz Chambord or Creme de Cassis (either one will work)
Fill your cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add all your ingredients except the Champagne. Close your cocktail shaker tightly and shake well. Strain into a 4-ounce martini glass. Add your Champagne or Prosecco to the mixture and garnish with lemon twist, raspberries or bourbon cherries.
Hint: If you have large martini glasses like the ones I have here, I double the recipe to fill it almost to the rim. YUM!
**I highly recommend that you do not skimp on the Chambord or Cassis for this drink. It needs that extra rich flavor that imitations don’t bring.
Photo by William Sonoma
TIP: I like to garnish my French Martini’s with either Bourbon Cherries if I am using Creme de Cassis or Raspberries if I am using Chambord. I just spear a few with a cocktail pick and I’ll either lay the pick directly on the rim of the martini glass or partially dunk it into the martini itself. It makes for a lovely presentation.
Now Let’s Talk Design and Aesthetics!
Presentation is everything especially on New Year’s Eve. Use your martini glasses as a focal point and add color around the glasses. I used a gold tray and some matching holiday ornaments with the same color hues.
You can mix gold and silver with no issues at all. Add a touch of blue, red or emerald green, whatever your favorite color is, and you have a luscious presentation that will be remembered.
Add jeweled toned colors to your design
By using jeweled colors, you are really bringing the sparkle and glitter into your home for your special event. If you don’t have many colorful items in your home, use numerous votives and put them around your entertaining area. It will illuminate the area for a more tranquil and warmer atmosphere.
Coordinating colors in other areas of your entertaining space makes for a more cohesive design throughout your home
Carry the colors that you will be using to other areas of your entertaining space as I have done here. Since I used my cobalt blue martini glasses as a main focal point, I also used the same color glasses for the bar area.
I also mixed metals by using gold and silver utensils and more votives. I have a few blue candles as well and added them to the space here and there for a complete design.
Gold, silver and blue votives and my linen bee and holiday cocktail napkins are also spread throughout the other rooms I am using for entertaining. This is done to create a more cohesive look and feel. By doing this, the flow from one room to another looks beautiful and each area transitions to another.
Now Let’s Talk All Things Ambiance!
MUSIC
Before the guest arrive, put on music that will set the mood for your party. The music should be just loud enough that you can hear each other talk comfortably and is not intrusive to the conversation. People will be farther apart at times….everything matters. The music is really for ambiance at this point. I personally love background music that is soft and a bit upbeat and doesn’t compete with the conversation. It really is about creating an intimate atmosphere. Background music is essential in my book.
LIGHTING
Lighting creates a wonderful mood therefore spend some time on the small details. Candles are the easiest way to create soft lighting and illuminates different areas for a soft glow. Scatter a combination of votives and pillars candles around your kitchen, living room, dining room and bathroom, or fill a large tray with all different size candles and place it in a corner here and there. String twinkle lights also provide a warm glow. Try tucking them inside a few lanterns, glass vases or under a glass dome. I actually like to do all of these lighting methods at once. It really sets the mood for a warm inviting environment.
How do you create a bar area in your kitchen? It is something I often do since most people love to congregate in or around that area. It allows for people to help themselves and frees you up to keep your eye on refilling appetizers and such.
Here is a video I created to help design a bar area in your home.
Click for Video - Click here - Bar Design
Design with your heart™️
Relax and enjoy your party
Hosting a party doesn’t have to be stressful if you do a little planning ahead of time. I hope you love this martini recipe as much as I do! With these simple design tips, you are sure to host a lovely party and enjoy it as well. As always, if you have any questions, I’m here anytime!
Happy Entertaining!
Mary
