Andrea Correale's Spring Cocktails

The weather may be playing serious games with our hearts, but that’s no reason to postpone getting your spring cocktail buzz on! Prepare these light and tasty recipes by celebrity caterer Andrea Correale, the founder and CEO of Elegant Affairs, serving NYC, Long Island and the Hamptons.

Don’t miss a beat! Click HERE to become a BELLA Insider!

Whether it’s raining or, dare I say, snowing outside, these seasonally inspired concoctions will transport you to sunny skies and fruity goodness.

Raspberry Mint Lemonade

Ingredients:
· 2 oz. Triple Sec
· 2 oz. Limoncello
· 1 handful of raspberries
· 2 oz. Mint Leaves
· Dash of grenadine for color
· Juice of two lemons
· Club soda
· Raw sugar

Directions:
· Add raspberries and mint to the bottom of the glass and sprinkle with raw sugar.
· Muddle these ingredients until it has the appearance of jam.
· Add the Triple Sec, Limoncello and lemon juice to your glass.
· Add a dash of grenadine for color, and then add the ice and top if off with club soda.
· Stir and serve with a sprig of fresh mint on top.

Sparkling Blood Orange Cocktail

Ingredients:
· ¼ cup crème de cassis
· 1 ½ cups strained fresh blood orange juice
· 1 750-ml bottle chilled sparking white wine
· 8 blood orange slices

Directions:
· Start with 1 ½ teaspoons crème de cassis.
· Add 3 tbsp. blood orange juice to each glass.
· Fill each glass with sparkling white wine, then stir gently.
· Garnish cocktails with slices of blood orange.

Pink Grapefruit Punch

Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup water
· 1/3 cup sugar
· 15 fresh mint sprigs, divided
· 4 cups strained fresh pink grapefruit juice
· 2 ½ cups bourbon
· 12 dashes angostura bitters
· 1 cup club soda
· 1 ice block

Directions:
· Stir 1/3 cup water and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.
· Increase heat and bring to boil.
· Add 5 fresh mint sprigs.
Remove from heat; cool syrup completely.
· Strain syrup into punch bowl.
· Add juice, bourbon, and bitters; mix in soda and 10 mint sprigs.
· Add ice to bowl.
· Use pretty fresh fruit for garnish.

Bourbon Spritzer Sips

Ingredients:
· 2 oz. Bourbon
· 1 oz. Elderflower Liquor
· 2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
· Squeeze of Lime
· Top with Club Soda

Directions:
· In a martini shaker, pour bourbon, elderflower liquor and bitters over ice and shake.
· Pour into 6oz glasses, top with club soda and squeeze of fresh lime, add a straw for swanky sipping!

Cranberry Pomegranate Sangria

Ingredients:
· 1 bottle of red zinfandel
· 4 cups of cranberry juice
· 2 cups of pomegranate juice
· 1 cup of orange juice
· 3/4 cup of simple syrup
· San Pellegrino sparkling water
· Fruit garnish:
o 1 apple, unpeeled, cored, quartered & sliced thin
o 1 orange, halved and sliced thin
o 1 lemon, halved and sliced thin
o 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
o 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds

Directions:
· Combine all the ingredients in a large bell jar and stir so all fruit and beverages are mixed together evenly.
· Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
· The longer the mixture chills, the darker the color of the sangria.
· Serve in tall champagne glasses.