Cocktails For Labor Day ? Sure we have two great suggestions

Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer and is the perfect time for a celebration!  Whether you're spending time relaxing at home or having a big end-of-summer party, these cocktails/mocktails made with Lipton Iced Tea will be sure to keep you and your guests cool and refreshed!

WHITE CITRUS SANGRIA

4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
1 bottle Lipton® Diet Green Tea with Citrus
1-3/4 cups white grape juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
Combine Lipton® 100% Natural Diet Green Tea with Citrus and juices in large pitcher. Stir in fruit. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve in ice-filled glasses.
Alcohol recommendation: White wine in place of white grape juice

  

CITRUS ICED TEA PUNCH

6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
2 bottles 100% Natural Lipton® Iced Tea with Lemon
1 cup orange juice
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
Combine Lipton® 100% Natural Iced Tea with Lemon with orange juice in large pitcher; stir in sliced fruit. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish, if desired, with fresh mint.
Alcohol recommendation: Tequila or Rum

For more great recipes, check out Facebook.com/LiptonIcedTea.

The Finger Lakes Can’t Help But Be Happy with Happy Bitch Rose Wine

Debbie Gioquindo, a local entrepreneur and wine expert, and Keryl Pesce, the author of the book Happy Bitch, got the ball rolling  with their rallying cry for women  “to get up and get on with it after facing life’s disappointments,”  and  introduced their Happy Bitch rosé in April 2011.

Debbie Gioquindo, Keryl Pesce

Perhaps the most interesting part of their story is that Social media, in particular, Twitter, led to the creation of the wine.  Yes, welcome to the age of Social Media! .

It all started when Keryl Pesce, author of Happy Bitch, tweeted about possibly creating a Happy Bitch wine, Debbie Gioquindo, Hudson Valley Wine Goddess, tweeted back that she should make it a Hudson Valley Wine. The two agreed to meet, and the rest is history.

The partnership fit these two incredible women like a glove.  Kery l is in the mind of bringing to Happy Bitch . Debbie is in the business of wine and marketing.  This perfect storm of a partnership have made a big name for themselves and created a fun wine geared toward women.

The Happy Bitch wine is of course a typical blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But that is where typical stops. The Happy Bitch Rose Wine is made in Orange County, with grapes sourced from the Finger Lakes region. Keryl and Debbie hired a wine maker to create several blends and then put it to customers at a local wine festival to vote for their favorite. “We also put a lot of thought into our packaging,” says Gioquindo. “We know sometimes women have trouble with a wine or Champagne cork, so we did a lot of research and came up with the crown cap.”  Remember those old Cola bottles? The Happy Bitch brings those memories back with an “old school “crown cap.  

We put our wine key away and found a bottle opener and the CUISINEIST tasting panel went to work.

In the flute, this Rose was true to its name with hues of pink and light ruby rising to the top with a slight effervescence. The Italian term Frizzante jumped into our minds the minute we saw the wine poured. On the nose, slight hints of cherry , cream , and roses were prominent and continued to a very soft feminine  finish with  effervescence lasting to the very end.  In short , the Happy Bitch Rose is a fun , every day easy drinking wine.

As Debbie Gioquindo stated “ultimately, the wine is for anyone who enjoys a good (very slightly carbonated) rosé, even men. “The wine can be drunk in a lot of different scenarios. I had it last fall with cider doughnuts on the train going into the city,” It pairs well with sushi. Our tag line is: It pairs well with girlfriends and great memories.”

The CUISINEIST.com tasting panel could not agree more. Get a bottle, enjoy and be happy.  For more information about Happy Bitch visit http://happybitchwines.com/

Excitement sparkles at Raffles Hotel, Singapore with the arrival of the limited-edition Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne

Raffles Hotel Singapore eagerly awaits the arrival of an exceptional delivery into its cellars a limited-edition 125^th Anniversary Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne.

Exclusively bottled to mark 125 years since this legendary hotel opened, the private label cuvée will be available at Raffles Hotel Singapore and at the other hotels in the Raffles Hotels & Resorts family, in Paris, Seychelles, Cambodia and China.  The champagne will have its debut in Singapore during the hotel’s anniversary festivities in September, which will launch a year of celebrations.

Established in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon in Mareuil-sur-Ay, Billecart-Salmon is known worldwide for fashioning the most elegant Champagne, fully rounded vintage cuvées with the purest palate and seemingly ageless style. It is the oldest continuously family owned and operated house in Champagne, currently managed by the seventh generation. With a relatively modest production level, many of Billecart-Salmon's prestige cuvées are highly allocated.

Francois Domi

The cellars are in the hands of renowned Chef de Cave Francois Domi Chief Winemaker, when asked to describe his Champagne he stated “The Brut Réserve is a light, fine and harmonious champagne.  Its blend is made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from three different years, sourced from the best sites in the Champagne region. “With reflections of straw yellow, the cuvée offers a floral freshness with aromas of fresh fruit and ripe pears. A full flavor and rich bouquet bear witness to the ageing of this cuvée in the House’s traditional cellars.”

Stephane Soret

Stephane Soret, Wine Director of Raffles Hotel, recognized as the Chevalier de l’Ordre in the prestigious worldwide organization Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, commented: “Like Raffles, Billecart-Salmon has almost two centuries of skill and practice in what they do, which is to make classic, timeless champagne.  Whether it’s staying in Raffles or drinking a glass of lightly chilled Billecart-Salmon, style and magic has a lot to do with experience.  Timelessness is about moving with the times and adapting to the world around us – but never forgetting our heritage, which is priceless.  We are really delighted to be working with Billecart-Salmon for our anniversary.”

The anniversary cuvée will be available exclusively at Raffles hotels worldwide and as an integral part of Raffles Hotel Singapore’s celebratory Billecart-Salmon Champagne 125^th Anniversary Brunch starting Sunday September 16^th 2012. In Singapore it will be priced at SGD 148 per bottle (approximately USD $118), and guests will be able to enjoy it in all the restaurants and bars at the hotel.

This sounds like a great excuse for a long weekend !