1990s Recipes + Menus

Sherwood Forest Cocktails

May 1997
Walter Bolzonella, a legendary Hotel Cipriani bartender, shared this complex Prosecco cocktail with us. Try the cocktail before you throw away the ingredients that remain after you’ve strained the infusion; if you decide you want it stronger, you can return them to the infusion and let it steep a bit longer.

1/2 cup water
2 whole cloves
6 juniper berries, crushed
zest of 1/2 lime, removed with a vegetable peeler
2 teaspoons honey
a 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 cup picked-over blackberries
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, or to taste
2 1/2 cups crushed ice
about 2 1/2 cups chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine (about a 750-ml bottle)

In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Add cloves, juniper berries, zest, honey, and cinnamon stick and cool infusion. Pour infusion through a fine sieve into a blender. Add berries, brown sugar, and ice and blend until smooth. Force purée through fine sieve into a small bowl. Purée keeps, covered and chilled, 4 days.
In each of 5 Champagne flutes stir together 3 tablespoons berry purée and 1/2 cup Prosecco. Makes 5 cocktails.
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