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Cocktail History
The Snow Day is a winter cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season. The recipe listed in the book called for mixing elderflower liqueur with dry sparkling white wine and topping it with frosted blueberries; our version adds in a homemade sous vide syrup for more blueberry flavor.
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. We used Schramsberg Vineyard Mirabelle Brut because it’s smooth and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur because it’s high quality and has a fresh, floral aroma and flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Elderflower Syrup in place of the elderflower liqueur.
Blueberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with blueberries, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, citric acid, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Sugar: This is a sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrate. We used C&H Pure Cane Granulated Sugar.
Blueberries: This is a small blue fruit. We used fresh blueberries.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the Homestia Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Snow Day starts with the scent of wine and elderflower, and it has a fairly straightforward and accessible taste that is mostly comprised of wine accented with floral notes and sweet fruit.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While far from revolutionary in design, this recipe ticked a lot of boxes for us, and we think anyone would feel the same. Plus, the Snow Day recipe’s simplicity makes it easy enough to make at home.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Unbeknownst to me, Kendall made the executive decision to add a half ounce of our sous vide blueberry syrup to this recipe, and it’s all the better for it. The original, which just called for two full ounces of elderflower liqueur and sparkling wine would have been entirely too flowery and just very… yellow. Our version, which takes the pre-determined fruit garnish and blends it into the drink in a creative way, makes for a cocktail that combines fruitiness with florals and makes it not only super tasty and accessible but also beautiful.”
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The original recipe for this drink only called for sparkling wine and elderflower liqueur, which didn’t really scream ‘winter’ to me in any way. It was obvious that the star was supposed to be the candied blueberry garnish given that was the only truly unique ingredient, so I asked Alex if we could at least mix in some blueberry simple syrup to add some complexity and play up the berry flavor a bit more. He went for it, and just that one change along with dialing the elderflower way back made the cocktail much tastier. Plus, it turned it a brilliant bright pink hue. I still don’t know if it’s really ‘wintery,’ but the frosty garnish does add a bit of snow-inspired flair.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-09-19.
Snow Day
The Snow Day is a winter cocktail that was created by food writer and author Jessica Strand and was first published in Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season. The recipe listed in the book called for mixing elderflower liqueur with dry sparkling white wine and topping it with frosted blueberries; our version adds in a homemade sous vide syrup for more blueberry flavor.
Ingredients
Method
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Pour sugar into a bowl.
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Run blueberries under water, then add to bowl of sugar, roll until coated, and place in a freezer.
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Add elderflower liqueur and blueberry syrup to a cocktail glass.
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Stir for 3-5 seconds.
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Top with chilled sparkling wine.
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Garnish with candied blueberries.
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This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-09-19.
More Winter Cocktails
If you like this winter-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Winter Mojito: A rum cocktail made with lime juice, winter herb syrup, soda water, a lime slice, and rosemary
Chartreuse Toddy: A brandy cocktail made with water, Green Chartreuse, lemon juice, honey syrup, and star anise
Winter Pimm’s Cup: A Pimm’s liqueur cocktail made with lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger syrup, American lager, blood orange slices, cranberries, rosemary, and oregano
Frostbite: A tequila cocktail made with blue curaçao, white crème de cacao, heavy cream, and a cherry
