Food & dining

Sips

Prosecco will make you try this recipe

Liza Weisstuch for The Boston Globe

Pity prosecco. All too often, the Italian sparkling wine — and other sparkling wines, too — are pigeonholed as special occasion sips. But the way author Amy Zavatto sees it, prosecco is a drink that belongs on your bar cart right there next to your bourbon, vodka, and the other commonly reached-for bottles. To prove it, she wrote “Prosecco Made Me Do It,” a book of cocktail recipes where the bubbly plays a big role.

“The thing about prosecco is it’s both a victor and victim of its popularity,” she told me. “Everyone knows prosecco now, but because of that, many bartenders have shied away from using it in a serious way in cocktails because, I’ve found, many think the quality is questionable. But like any product, there are really great beautiful versions and there are just OK versions. If you’re going to make a cocktail with prosecco, don’t just buy any bottle and dump it in a drink.”

So to clear things up, in addition to a history of the wine, the book delivers lessons in debunking prosecco lingo (“Brut” means dry; “dry” indicates sweetness. Now you know.) That, of course, is important when it comes to mixing cocktails. The volume also provides 60 recipes, which range from zippy spritzes and two-ingredient concoctions to aromatic originals to elegant classics, each presented with a charming, chatty introduction that captures Zavatto’s bubbly (ahem) personality. For a vibrant option that’ll make any holiday party pop — or, for that matter, an any-time-of-year party — the Bubbly Jack Rose, an effervescent whirl on a vintage formula, is a reliable choice.

BUBBLY JACK ROSE

Makes 1 drink

1½ ounces Applejack

¼ ounce Grenadine

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

2 ounces extra-dry-style Prosecco

1 lemon twist, to garnish

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1. In a cocktail shaker over ice, pour applejack, Grenadine and lemon juice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds.

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2. Strain into a coup.

3. Top with prosecco and garnish with lemon twist.

Adapted from “Prosecco Made Me Do It” (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Liza Weisstuch can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram @livingtheproof.