What girl doesn't love a little sparkle in their life every now and again? On her finger, in her glass, in the eye of a dreamy guy. You can't deny the lure of sparkly things. Therefore, you'll totally understand when I tell you that I'm sharing not one, but two #bloggerCLUE posts this month. Our theme, afterall, is SPARKLY!

I've been talking lately about things that warm my bones, like soups and stews, comforting roasts, basically anything that cooks low and slow. But sometimes, it even works to just sit back, close my eyes, and sip a cocktail. A sunny burst of lime...the freshness of mint...the rum (oh yeah, totally the rum)...combined they are instant transport to a hot Miami beach via a cocktail—specifically a Mojito.

But I'll do you one better, thanks to Aly of Cooking in Stilettos. She made it easy, really. I knew within just a few moments of rummaging through her "kitchen" what sparkly thing I'd be making. That sunshine-conjuring Mojito I mentioned? She topped it off with sparkles in the form of fizzy Prosecco!

Now, I didn't have any Prosecco on hand, but I did have a bottle of Champagne in the fridge. Same thing, different country. Of course, if I'm being honest, it was Sparkling wine—its origins were California, not France. I digress. It was sparkly, and it transported out of Frozenville for a (far too) short period of time. Whether you drink it in the summer, or drink it in the winter to pretend it's summer, you'll be happy.

Sparkling Mojitos

The fresh familiar flavors of a mojito with a twist! Pop that cork and add some sparkling wine to your next sunny cocktail.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: beverage vegan soy-free nut-free dairy-free limes mint rum wine

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint + more to garnish
• 1-1/2 limes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup rum (white or silver)
• 1 bottle Sparkling wine (Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, etc)
• ice cubes

Instructions

Combine mint, lime wedges, and sugar in the bottom of a large cocktail shaker or pitcher. Muddle them together (pound with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon), adding in a couple of ice cubes to get the mixture moving along a little, if needed. Add the rum and shake/stir vigorously.

Pour into glasses over ice, then top up with the sparkling wine (or water). Garnish with mint and/or lime, if you wish and enjoy immediately.

-slightly adapted from Bobby Flay via Cooking in Stilettos

A couple more cocktails with sparkle to brighten your day:
Champagne Punch
Funny Girl Cocktail
Sparkling Pomegranate Margarita

Comment 2009-2015 Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez | girlichef. All written content, original photography and original recipes on this blog are copyrighted unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.