Cocktail time.

I am a firm believer when entertaining that you should have a beverage (preferably a cocktail) ready to go when your guests walk in the door.  For this blog, since we will not know two of the guests, I think that makes it even more important to have something chilled for their arrival. 

I love collecting vintage barware.

We are also big fans of drinks you can make ahead of time, with only a splosh of champagne or soda to be added when filling the glasses.  It's nice to do this since everyone will be having the same drink and can chat about it - and it means you are not making 6 different drinks right off the bat.  And, this is just me, but I firmly believe that it should not be an "up" kind of drink.  By that I mean, a martini drink in a martini glass.  Although pretty to look at it, they can make already nervous people even more so because the likelihood of spilling the drink in that kind of glass is much higher than say a highball.  Plus, shaking 6 martinis is just not what I want to do right when the guests arrive.

I came across a drink that fit the bill in the October issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  You have to pre-mix it in a pitcher, it had a fun color, and required sparkling wine (my favorite).   Plus it called for a slightly exotic ingredient (Campari).  Perfect.  The drink was a hit and I would make it again in a heartbeat, especially around Christmas or New Years.  One of our guests actually loves Campari (her family comes from Italy) so that was an added bonus, but it got me thinking that maybe for the next one in addition to asking for any dietary restrictions/allergies, I may ask them to pick a favorite liquor and I can build our pre-dinner drink off that.  It breaks the ice the night of the party, gets the creative part of my brain working, and hopefully makes them feel more comfortable when they arrive since they know what will be in it.

Next time I should remove the price tags.

I called the cocktail "Red State" in a tongue in cheek tribute to one of our guests, who comes from a fairly conservative part of the country.  It's a take on the famous Negroni.  Enjoy!

Red State
Makes 14-16 drinks

In a cocktail pitcher, combine:
1 1/2 cups rum (we used Brugal Anejo, but any amber or even silver rum would work here - I would not use a spiced one)
1 cup Campari
1 cup sweet vermouth

Chill the filled pitcher in the fridge for several hours or overnight.  When guests arrive, fill as many tom collins style cocktail glasses as you need about halfway with ice.  Pour enough of the mixture to come up about halfway in the glass.  Fill the rest of the glass with a good (no need for great) sparkling wine (I used Gruet because I love it and its price point).  The entire pitcher will require 2 bottles of sparkling wine to make all the drinks.  Garnish with an orange twist if you so desire.

For 6 people, we only used about half the cocktail mixture in the pitcher, so it will easily make enough drinks for a larger dinner party or gathering for sure.