Final Countdown! – Champagne & Bourbon Cocktail

Well, it is finally here! The last day of 2021. Many are looking forward to the ending of this year and starting fresh in 2022 at the stroke of midnight. I am one of them. And I love that this new year is starting on a Saturday, giving us today off to get ready for the celebration, and getting an extra weekend day afterwards to continue to reflect, relax, and reenergize before jumping back in post-holiday routines on Monday.

Along with some delectable appetizers, we will be bidding farewell to 2021 with a sparkling wine cocktail tonight. Vanilla bean simple syrup and bourbon are combined, then topped off with sparkling wine. It’s a festive & flavorful libation to welcome in 2022!

Champagne & Bourbon Cocktail

Champagne & Bourbon Cocktail (adapted from Bobby Flay via foodnetwork.comTotal Time Required: 25 minutes, Prep Time: 5 minutes, Inactive Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 3 – 4 ounces prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled

Directions:

Combine the sugar, water, vanilla bean and seeds in small pot.

Make the vanilla bean simple syrup.

Bring it to a boil over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.

Bring it to a boil to dissolve all the sugar.

Strain the simple syrup into a clean jar and discard the vanilla bean. There will be enough simple syrup to make 6 – 8 cocktails.

Strain the simple syrup into a clean jar.

Add the bourbon and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of the vanilla bean syrup to a chilled champagne flute.

Add bourbon and simple syrup to the flute.

Fill the flute to the top with sparkling wine and serve.

Top off the cocktail with sparking wine to serve.

Happy New Year!  ~Linda

Champagne & Bourbon Cocktail (adapted from Bobby Flay via foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 25 minutes, Prep Time: 5 minutes, Inactive Time: 20 minutes, Makes: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 3 – 4 ounces prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled

Directions:

Combine the sugar, water, vanilla bean and seeds in small pot. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let the simple syrup cool to room temperature. Strain the simple syrup into a clean jar and discard the vanilla bean. There will be enough simple syrup to make 6 – 8 cocktails.

Add the bourbon and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of the vanilla bean syrup to a chilled champagne flute. Fill the flute to the top with sparkling wine and serve.