Bottom's Up!

Tomorrow is New Years Eve! Whether you're planning a big night out or curling up on the couch to watch the ball drop, surely your night would be incomplete without a tasty adult beverage! After scouring the internet and reading hundreds of recipes I think I've narrowed it down to these two...one sweet recipe that incorporates some bubbly, and one that is fresh and tart - a perfect balance!

Cucumber Cooler

Ingredients

1 cucumber

1 1/4 ounces gin

Splash of fresh lime juice

Splash of simple syrup

Chilled seltzer

Directions

Slice a piece of cucumber and reserve for garnish. Peel, halve and seed the remaining cucumber. Puree in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add 2 ounces cucumber puree, the gin, lime juice and simple syrup and stir. (To make a batch of simple syrup, simmer equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then cool.) Fill the glass with seltzer and stir again. Garnish with the reserved cucumber slice.

Grand Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients
4 shots orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
4 teaspoons honey
4 fresh strawberries, tops trimme
1 bottle Champagne, well chilled
Special equipment: 4 chilled Champagne flutes

Directions

Add the orange-flavored liqueur, honey and strawberries to a food processor and process until smooth. Fill the chilled glasses half way with the strawberry mixture and then fill the rest of  the glass with Champagne.


If neither of these two recipes spark your interest check out more amazing recipe ideas at;

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipe-collections/cocktail/index.html