RECIPE: Drinking in Spring -- The Tiziano

As it gets warmer (...and then colder and then warmer again. What the heck, Boston?!), I've started to pack up my sweaters, my ski socks, my porters and my hefty brown ales. Switching into a new season means a reboot of my recipe box. No more heavy crockpot stews for dinner and no more accompanying stouts.

To cushion the loss of your 11% ABV ales, I present you with two variations of a deliciously light Prosecco cocktail that will keep you going till winter.

[caption id="attachment_80456" align="alignnone" width="411"] See you next winter![/caption]

I'm no stranger to a dash of St. Germaine in my flute on the holidays but even mimosas and bellinis can get boring. Luckily, I found the Tiziano while searching for punches to serve at my sister's bridal shower. It's an Italian cocktail, presumably named for the painter, that mixes Prosecco with Concord grape juice. While I'm usually not wild about grape juice, the Food Network recipe softens the taste with mint and lemon. I substituted white grape juice, which is less overbearing, and inadvertently created my own springtime cocktail. I call it the "Maid of Honor" Tiziano since it was a huge hit at my sister's bridal shower but you can just call it delicious.

Classic Tiziano

Ingredients:

1 bottle chilled Prosecco
1.5 cups chilled grape juice
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
Chopped mint leaves

Directions:

Combine Prosecco and grape juice. Garnish with lemon rounds and mint. It's that easy.

[caption id="attachment_80452" align="alignnone" width="300"] photo via Food Network[/caption]

"Maid of Honor" Tiziano

Ingredients

1 bottle chilled Prosecco
1.5 cups chilled white grape juice
1 lemon sliced into rounds

Directions

Combine Prosecco and white grape juice. Garnish with lemon. Enjoy in a patch of sunlight somewhere.

I like to think of these as the fall and spring versions, making a cocktail that spans the seasons. Another perk is that even when using a budget bottle of bubbly (which I pretty much always do), it's still tasty. Feel free to play mixologist and find the perfect balance for you. Before you know it, it will be time for hot toddies again.