Negroni sbagliato means “mistaken Negroni” in Italian, but can I tell you something? I think it’s an improvement on the original.

Classic Negronis are comprised of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. The Negroni sbagliato uses prosecco instead of gin, which makes the Negroni sbagliato lighter, bubbly, and less severe. It’s bitter but balanced, like the Negroni’s fun cousin!

The Negroni sbagliato has been TikTok-famous since 2022, but my friend Reese introduced me to the Negroni sbagliato at last year’s Christmas party. I’m sharing it with you in time for this year’s festivities. It’s a sparkling, red aperitivo to sip before your holiday meals.

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Is it too soon for a cocktail? Nah, I don’t think so. We’ve been celebrating with Kir Royale cocktails this summer, and I wanted to introduce you to this delightfully fizzy, lightly pink drink.

The Kir Royale is a Champagne cocktail made with a splash of French berry liqueur. Cocktails truly don’t get any easier.

Kir Royales are a blushing alternative to sparkling rosé or straight Champagne. The simple act of swirling two ingredients together makes Kir Royales seem more celebratory, if you will.

You could serve Kir Royales at birthday parties, showers, brunch, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, or any happy occasion. They’re so simple to make and yet still feel a little fancy. Ready?

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Cheers! It’s peach season, which means it’s also bellini season. Bellinis are sparkling Italian cocktails made with two simple ingredients: Prosecco and peach purée. They’re fizzy and refreshing, with more body than your average cocktail.

Bellinis are easy to make, and perfect when you’re hosting brunch or soaking up a lazy summer weekend. They’re a fun alternative to a mimosa, and feel a little more fancy. Maybe because they’re Italian.

Too often, bellinis are made with overly sweet peach nectar or peach liqueur. My bellinis are made with real peach purée, which doesn’t need any added sugar to taste like a treat.

You can make bellinis with defrosted frozen peaches, too. You’ll find instructions for each option below. Are you ready to make bellinis this weekend?

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We’re going to Italy this summer, so I’m celebrating with this classic Aperol spritz recipe! Aperol spritzes are ultra refreshing, not-too-sweet bubbly cocktails.

A proper Aperol spritz tastes like summertime in Italy and looks like a golden orange sunset. I’ll gladly sip one on our front porch now, overlooking our overgrown front yard, and later, with a view of the Italian Riviera.

The Aperol spritz has been in the spotlight over the past week, since the New York Times boldly declared that “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink.” Grub Street shot back that the “Entire Internet Agrees Aperol Spritz Is, in Fact, Good.”

I, for one, find the Aperol spritz to be entirely delightful. Both articles are written with the assumption that you have tried an Aperol spritz, but what if you haven’t? I vote that we all make some this weekend and decide for ourselves.

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Who wants a mimosa?! My answer is yes, always. Mimosas are supremely simple bubbly cocktails made with sparkling wine and orange juice. They’re light, fizzy and easy to sip.

I love ordering mimosas at weekend brunch, and serving them to family and friends on holidays—Easter, Mother’s Day, July 4th, Christmas, you name it. Mimosas liven up wedding showers and baby showers. I bring mimosa supplies to football watch parties, and no one complains.

I’ve shared a few variations on mimosas over the years. Today, I’m going to share everything you’ve ever wanted to know about mimosas, plus a basic mimosa recipe and variations.

If you haven’t poured your first mimosa yet, you’ll be a mimosa expert by the end of this post! If you’re a seasoned mimosa drinker, I think you’ll find some new tips here, too.

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Are you acquainted with the French 75? The French 75 is a refreshing and citrusy, sparkling gin cocktail that packs a punch. It’s perfect for the holidays and other celebratory occasions. The French 75 is the answer any time a bubbly cocktail is in order!

French 75’s are made with a standard pour of gin and topped with Champagne, so it’s a strong drink in a sparkling dress. In fact, it’s named after the French 75-mm field gun, which was commonly used in World War I.

Here’s my only spin on this classic cocktail: I used honey instead of sugar in the simple syrup. The light honey flavor plays beautifully with fresh lemon and herbal gin. That said, you can absolutely keep the the original recipe and use sugar if you’d prefer. My recipe works either way!

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What do you do when you have extra watermelon? Make watermelon juice, or better yet, watermelon mimosas! They are a fun twist on classic orange mimosas. These refreshing brunch (or any time) cocktails are supremely simple, but I couldn’t keep the idea to myself. We can’t let good watermelon go to waste.

Here’s the trick with watermelon mimosas: they’re only as good as your watermelon. I recently bought a mini watermelon that was pale pink and kind of sour on the inside, and that watermelon would have made lousy watermelon mimosas.

I used a pretty standard store-bought watermelon to make these, but I’m still day dreaming about the sugar baby watermelon I bought at a farmers’ market four years ago when I made that first batch of watermelon juice. Picking out all the seeds wasn’t my favorite activity, but it was worth it.

If mimosas aren’t your favorite, check out my spicy watermelon margaritas or my simple and healthy watermelon popsicles. I also tried out Alexa’s trick for cutting watermelon on July 4th, and it was a big hit with my family, so that’s another fun way to prepare watermelon. Cheers to summertime!

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Hello, dear ones. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you? I hope your weekends were better than mine. Either way, here’s a cheerful little number that is perfectly suited for brunch, happy hour or a nightcap. Think of these French 75’s as an extra boozy, extra bright version of traditional orange mimosas.

Instead of a traditional French 75 with lemon juice, I thought it would be fun to use clementines, which are in season now. I learned that clementines are really easy to juice with a handheld lemon juicer. You’ll need a few clementines per drink, so if you’re trying to polish off one of those big bags of them, these cocktails (or this smoothie) will do the trick!

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Busy week, huh? I seem to have temporarily lost my appetite (nothing that Christmas treats at home won’t be able to cure), so I made us some cocktails! I can attest that these strong, brunch-appropriate cocktails go great with my butternut frittata.

Just remember—you’re adding gin to Champagne, so these pack a punch. Which means they might be just what you need at the holiday table.

These cocktails are a twist on the classic French 75 cocktail, which is made with gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne.

I tasted this cocktail at Cafe Flora in Seattle a couple of months ago. I was so excited to eat there since my friend had recommended the restaurant to me a couple of years ago. My brother was driving, so I ordered one of these while we waited for our vegetarian brunch to arrive and I marveled at the fiery red trees outside. Needless to say, I was a fan and knew I had to recreate these for the blog.

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Happy New Year’s Eve! I’m posting this fizzy pink cocktail far too late for you to make it tonight, I know. Please accept my apologies. Resolution No. 1: Start planning ahead.

I can’t say I’m sad for the year to end because I’m busy looking forward to the year ahead. 2011 has been a year of growth. I learned how to get unstuck, if you will, by leaving an unfulfilling three-year-long relationship and quitting a miserable office job. I traveled as much as possible in search of a new city to call home. I cultivated friendships and tried to savor every moment in each season.

I learned a lot of lessons in my 25th year—some invaluable and others, trivial. I started referring to myself as a woman rather than a girl. That’s something. I realized I’d rather snuggle with my dog than a jerk. I developed a serious appreciation for stretchy pants. Each little success on this blog has reinforced my belief that persistence and creative development will help me get to a better position in life, whatever that may be.

I’m eager to discover what’s in store for 2012. My main goal is to get out of this town and make a new home elsewhere (Kansas City, here I come!). I also resolve to exercise and floss my teeth and wear sunscreen daily. See? I’m old.

These cocktails are a twist on the classic French 75 cocktail, which is made with gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne. Blood orange turns the drink into a beautiful hot pink sipper.

If you’d like to make your own simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar (or honey) and water in a microwave-safe container or small saucepan. Warm them in the microwave or over the stovetop just until the sweetener fully dissolves in the water. Leftover simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two weeks.

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