Ring In the New Year with Mia Sparkling Moscato...Featuring My Raspberry-Limoncello Moscato Fizz

Christmas is officially over for another year -- and now it's time to turn our attention to planning a relaxed at-home New Year's Eve celebration! We're planning to catch an early movie, then head back home to watch the ball drop on TV from Times Square. We'll also enjoy a few simple, no-fuss appetizers...and a bubbly cocktail. I recently received samples of Freixenet's delicious Mia Fruity & Sweet Moscato -- and I immediately knew that I wanted to create a fun New Year's Eve celebration cocktail with it. Mia sparkling Moscato is perfectly fizzy and sweet -- just like a romantic kiss from your sweetheart at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve! Mia Fruity & Sweet Moscato is easy to drink, and it's delicious on its own paired with desserts or a composed cheese platter. However, I knew that Mia's tasting notes of peach and apricot would match perfectly with tart raspberries and citrusy limoncello liqueur to create my Raspberry-Limoncello Moscato Fizz. This cocktail is my spin on a traditional bellini -- and it's a snap to make! Its hot pink color is festive, and the flavor strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart. The coarse sugar rim on each cocktail glass is totally optional, but it adds an extra boost of sweetness to each sip -- and the coarse grains of sugar sparkle like diamonds in the light. Tres romantique!

Raspberry-Limoncello Moscato Fizz

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients:

• 12-ounce bag frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1/3 cup limoncello (lemon liqueur)
• 2 tbs. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 bottle Mia Fruity & Sweet Moscato, very well chilled
• Optional: coarse sparkling sanding sugar to rim the glasses

Directions:

Step 1: Add the thawed raspberries to a large mesh sieve that's placed over a large measuring cup. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly press the raspberries through the sieve, leaving the majority of the seeds behind. Discard the seeds. Add the limoncello, honey, and vanilla extract to the raspberry puree in the measuring cup. Whisk until the honey is completely incorporated into the puree.

Step 2: Rub the rim of 4 margarita glasses (or large wine glasses) with a slice of lemon. Place each glass in a shallow bowl of the coarse sanding sugar. Let the glasses sit for a minute or two to set the sugar before making the cocktails. Add 2 tbs. of the raspberry-limoncello puree to the bottom of each glass.

Step 3: Slowly pour the chilled Mia Fruity & Sweet Moscato over the raspberry-limoncello puree. The drink will mix itself perfectly as you pour in the fizzy Moscato. Let each cocktail rest for a minute or two before serving -- until the bubbles on top die down a bit. Sit back and enjoy a glass of fruity, fizzy goodness!

Sigh...this is a perfect celebration cocktail. It's fruity, fizzy, and totally fun! We especially loved its bright color and the tartness from the raspberries and limoncello. The Mia provided the perfect amount of bubbles -- and the addition of honey and the sugared rim provided just enough sweetness. I hope you'll give this fantastic Raspberry-Limoncello Moscato Fizz a try for your New Year's Eve celebration! Make sure to come back tomorrow for a simple and flavorful shrimp dip that's ready in minutes and tastes even better the second day!

Disclosure: I received samples of Mia Fruity & Sweet Moscato to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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