Christmas is a time for sparkling cocktails, preferably made with champagne and coloured a festive red. Spasso, an Italian bar and restaurant in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, has one that is ideal for the occasion. The Glittery Rose is a mix of champagne, vanilla vodka, cranberry juice and edible gold leaf, which makes it shimmer. It's a glamorous tipple that matches the red theme of Spasso, which means 'joy' in Italian.
Bar manager Sammy Tang spent a long time tinkering with flavoured vodkas and measurements to refine the drink. His meticulous recipe calls for 28ml of vodka with 49ml of champagne but a ratio of one to two should work well enough for those making it at home.
'Champagne and vodka are popular in Hong Kong, so I mixed the two to create a special drink,' says Tang. 'Vanilla matches best with champagne. The drink is red, it's attractive and I added a small amount of gold foil to represent glamour and sparkle.'
For customers who prefer non-alcoholic mixes, Tang recommends the Val di Non, a refreshing blend of apple, mint and ginger ale that would make a good pick-me-up after a night on the strong stuff. Using fresh fruit and making sure the drink is served chilled are essential to the quality, he says.
The bar manager, who has created more than 40 alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for Spasso, is a stickler for detail. 'Some drinks involve a complicated procedure but it is a must to follow through all the necessary steps - there is no short cut to mixing a great drink,' he advises amateur mixologists.
The Glittery Rose (HK$95) and Val di Non (HK$50) are available at Spasso, shop 403, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2730 8027.
Glittery Rose (above)
