Sparkling Black Cherry Grape Spritzer Recipes

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Stir in 1 cup ice cubes until completely melted. Pour the tea into a liquid measuring cup, and let it chill completely in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely melted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the mint and stir until it has completely wilted. Let cool completely at room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
• Strain the cooled mint syrup into a large liquid measuring cup or a pitcher, then press the leaves with a wooden spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the mint. Add the blueberries, and use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to lightly crush most of them (a few whole blueberries is fine). Add the chilled tea, and stir to combine.
• To serve, fill 4 tall glasses with ice. Divide the blueberry mixture among them. Add enough sparkling wine to fill each glass. Garnish with a mint sprig, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Put half of the red grapes and half of the white grapes in the freezer, for garnish. Put the remaining grapes in a large bowl and "smash" them with a whisk (or fingers).
• Add the smashed grape to a large pitcher and pour in the grape juice and honey. Stir in about 16 ounces of vodka. Fill glasses about 1/2 full with the grape juice mixture and top with a splash of seltzer. Drop and few frozen grapes into each glass for a festive garnish that doubles as an ice cube!

Steps:

• In a small bowl add orange zest and 4 sprigs of mint. In a second bowl add the lime zest and ginger. To a third bowl add 3/4 cup of the raspberries.
• In a pot mix the sugar and 3 cups water. Put over medium heat and bring it to a boil, then evenly divide the sugar syrup among the 3 bowls. Stir each to mix and let cool to room temperature. Pour each mixture into jars or syrup containers and refrigerate until ready to use or up to 2 weeks.
• Set up the Spritzer Bar:
• Set out chilled bottles of sparkling water. Put out plenty champagne flutes or wine glasses. Let people create their own Sparkling Spritzer by mixing about 3 tablespoons of a flavored syrup with some seltzer water and a shot of vodka or Prosecco, if desired. Garnish the drinks with mint sprigs, orange slices or lime slices.

Steps:

• Place the cherries in a saucepan off the stove, pour the sugar over the top and let them sit for 2 hours. Add the water, and stir to mix the cherries, sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring the cherry mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain liquid into another pan, pressing cherries with a spoon to extract all the liquid, and discard the cherries. Simmer the liquid over low heat until it is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour syrup in a jar and store in the refrigerator.
• To serve, place 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup in each glass, fill glasses with chilled sparkling water and stir to mix.

Steps:

• Combine black cherries and agave in a glass; crush gently. Add seltzer and stir. Top with ice.