The Parasol

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Cocktail History

The Parasol is a spring cocktail that was created by Paul McGee at RPM Italian in Chicago, Illinois. It's considered a brunch recipe that's made with a refreshing combination of sparkling wine, Lillet Blanc, elderflower, lemon, and honey.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. I used La Marca Prosecco.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Lillet Blanc: This is an aromatized wine liqueur made in France with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes, citrus, florals, honey, baking spices, and water.

Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale yellow color

• Aroma: Wine and citrus

• Taste: Distinct sparkling wine flavor that marries tart lemon with herbs and florals

• Finish: Sweet honey and more semi-dry wine

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "I'm a fan of just about any sparkling wine cocktail, and The Parasol is pretty high on the list of ones I've enjoyed because it's quite unique. Most bubbly cocktails really just taste like whichever brand of wine you're using, but this one had a sweet-tartness that I haven't had in a sparkling drink before. The honey is absolutely delectable, the taste is rich, and the sparkling wine isn't overpowering, in my opinion, especially if you choose to use an extra dry like I did. Overall, this is great drink for spring, and I'd make it again!"

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from the December 2013 issue of Saveur magazine.