Simple Charcuterie

Hey, friends! We’re coming to you today with a SUPER simple snack idea or a really easy appetizer to throw together and take to your next get together.

As everyone knows, charcuterie boards are the “cheese & crackers” of the 2020’s and to be honest, we’re wondering why it has taken this long for people to realize how much people prefer this as an option at a party.

You’re probably familiar with the lavish boards that are sprinkled throughout Pinterest and Instagram, and while we LOVE those, today we’re giving you the “oh my gosh, I forgot I’m supposed to bring a dish to share!” option…meaning a few blocks of cheese, some pita chips, and *most* importantly, WINE!

For this super simple pairing, we used gruyere and gouda paired with Stacey’s Naked Pita Chips and a bottle of our delicious Acronym Red Blend. Per usual, you could change up the cheese if you want, or you can heed our advice and trust that these were a pretty perfect pairing!

As always, you can find our delicious Acronym Red Blend at your local Kroger. And if you’re feeling fancy, you could even throw some sort of fig jam or fruity counterparts on your board. It all depends on how much time you’re working with, right!?

Cheers!

Blueberry Bubbly

You guys…SPRING. IS. HERE. And We are LIVING in our feels because of it. Does anyone else feel like winter completely overstayed its welcome? Yeah, same. Which gives us allll the justifications in the world to be as excited as we are about spring. ANYWAY.. being that spring is officially in the air, so are allll the springy drinks! And we are kicking things off with one of THE tastiest drinks we’ve made to date…meet our pretty little Blueberry Bubbly! 

If you’re a fan of berries, you’re going to be hooked on this drink! And in true Corks + Cheers fashion, it involves minimal ingredients and essentially no time to make. 

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 can of Simple Truth Mixed Berry seltzer water
1 cup blueberries
1 bottle Acronym Ruby Red Blend

And here’s how you make it:
Start by filling the bottom of the glass with 1/2 cup blueberries (the amount is really up to you — if you’d like less, do that! Totally your call!) Over the blueberries, fill your glass about halfway with your seltzer water. Top with Acronym Ruby Red Blend, sip, and enjoy! 

Fair warning: this one goes down like water and will FOR SURE having you coming back for more! Fair warning pt. 2: your friends will never leave your house if you’re serving this up…it’s that good! Cheers friends! And HAPPY SPRING!

Clover Chardonnay

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, friends! Whether your parents are actual leprechauns or you don’t have a lick of Irish in your bloodline, we are big believers that on March 17th, everybody is a little bit Irish! Which means everybody should be celebrating, right!?

And while Green Beer Day is basically a national (international?) holiday, we understand that not everybody is on board the beer train. So how about we just call it Green Drink Day, k? We think that’s something everybody can support.

So, in honor of Green Drink Day, allow us to introduce our Clover Chardonnay…the perfect green drink to sip your way through St. Patty’s Day this year. And per usual, it’s super simple to make!

Here’s what you’ll need:
2 limes, sliced
2 granny smith apples
1 can Simple Truth Lemon Lime seltzer water
1 bottle Magistrate Chardonnay

And here’s how you make it:
Begin by filling your glass with a handful of diced green apples and small lime slices. Pour half the can of seltzer water over the fruit. Top with Magistrate Chardonnay. Garnish with lime slices if you wish! (Makes 2 drinks)

Here’s hoping luck is on your side this St. Patty’s Day! Cheers, friends!

Citrus Chardonnay Mimosa

Y’all, can you feel it in the air!? Well, maybe not in the actual air, per-say, since it’s still pretty frigid cold here in the midwest, BUT all the retailers of the world are catching Spring Fever and we’re seeing bright, springy colors and sunny, spring breezes in the future!

So, what better to go with the bright colors than a bright, crisp, spring cocktail!? Enter our Citrus Mimosa featuring our Parker’s Estate Chardonnay. 

Per usual it’s quick and easy to make! Here’s what you’ll need:
1 Lemon
1 Orange
Orange Triple Sec
San Pellegrino Sparkling Water
Parker’s Estate Chardonnay

And here’s how you make it:
Juice your orange and lemon, set aside. Over ice, pour 1 shot of Triple Sec. Add 2 oz of both the lemon juice and the orange juice. Add 2 oz San Pellegrino sparkling water. Finish with 4 oz Parker’s Estate Chardonnay. Garnish with orange and lemon slices, and serve! 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy…literally! Cheers!

Blackberry Bubbly

If there’s one thing we love around here, it’s LOVE. But in addition to that, you all know we loooove a good drink, too. So what better way to celebrate the one day a year dedicated to all things love than with a good, festive drink, right?! Not to mention it’s so ridiculously easy to make because that’s just what we do.

Introducing our Blackberry Bubbly featuring our Myles & Moore Pinot Noir.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Ginger beer
Blackberry flavored Izze
Myles & Moore Pinot Noir
Fruit for garnish
Lindt Chocolate for pairing

Start by pouring ginger beer over ice about a quarter of the way up the glass. Follow with an equal amount of Izze, and top with Pinot Noir. Garnish with blackberries and strawberries, and enjoy!

This little cocktail is full of flavor without being too much, and the carbonation adds the perfect little punch. We think it’s the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

And again, whether you’re celebrating with your love or your gals or just loving YOU this V-Day, we hope you feel a little extra love!

Xoxo! Cheers!

Raspberry Rosé Lemonade

Being that February is a month heavily populated by the color pink, we thought we’d bring you a recipe that is totally on brand for this month’s unspoken theme! This little drink is, per usual, wildly simple to make and it really is DELISH!

Introducing, Raspberry Rosé Lemonade featuring Rue de Pearl Rosé.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Rue de Pearl Rosé
Sanpellegrino Limonata
Raspberries
Lemon for garnish

After reading that ingredients list you probably already realize how darn simple this is going to get, don’t you?! This is all you gotta do: Start with a handful of raspberries and drop them into your glass. You could muddle them if you prefer that, but we went with whole berries. Over the berries, pour your Limonata about halfway up the glass. Top with Rue de Pearl Rosé and garnish with a lemon slice.

Like, really…how much simpler does it get?! And this one is AMAZING. So refreshing to drink but not overly sweet. We cannot say enough good things about it! 

Let us know if you make it and give us all your thoughts…but we’re pretty sure you’re going to love it!

Cheers, friends!

Waffles + Wine

Love is in the air over here and we are so excited about it! Whether you’re spending V-Day with your spouse, your gals, or you’re flying solo this year, we have the perfect little treat to help you celebrate!

If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you know that we are big believers in a good wine pairing…and more specifically, we’re big believers that Lindt chocolate really is the best compliment to our wines! But wait — it gets better. How about adding a mini-waffle complete with whipped cream and fruit topping?! Oh.Yes. Happy Valentine’s Day to us!

Here’s what you’ll need:
Waffle iron (we went with this darling heart shaped mini iron)
Waffle mix
Whipped cream
Strawberries (or fruit of your choice)
Lindt chocolate

We chose to pour a glass of our amazing Myles & Moore Cabernet Sauvignon to sip on and may we just add — we nailed it. This cab was the perfect wine to enjoy with our waffles!

No matter what this Valentine’s Day holds for you, we hope you give a little extra love and feel a little extra in return. No matter what life looks like, we all get the choice to choose love. And that’s a cause we can get behind!

Cheers, friends! Xoxo!

Sherbert Mimosa

We’re coming to you one last time in 2019 with a drink that we think will be the perfect addition to your New Years Eve, whether you’re getting fancied up or just laying low in PJs with the fam! Since we’re BIG mimosa people, we figured we’d give you one final, very simple, mimosa to close out 2019 and usher you right into 2020!

This is probably the easiest drink recipe we’ve ever made, but it will not disappoint! You literally only need 2 ingredients. SO EASY!

Here’s what you’ll need:
Ogio Prosecco
Sherbert (whatever flavor you prefer!)

And here’s how you make it:
Fill champagne flutes about 1/3 of the way with sherbert
Top with prosecco

THAT. IS. IT. Simple simple simple! And while there are no rules on when you should enjoy this, we all agree that it does make a perfect dessert drink, AKA the perfect drink to have in your hand when the ball drops in NYC!

As we say goodbye to an amazing 2019, we just want to thank YOU, our sweet community, for being a part of what we are doing here at C+C. Having you in our corner is a gift, and we are so looking forward to all that’s to come in 2020!

May you have a blessed, abundant, and healthy 2020! See you in the new year! Cheers!

5 EASY PROSECCO HOLIDAY COCKTAILS

These 5 easy prosecco holiday cocktails take less than 10 minutes to prep. Perfect for holiday brunch or cocktail party. Top with prosecco and enjoy.

This is a sponsored conversation written by Lena of Lena’s Kitchen blog on behalf of Corks and Cheers. The opinions and text are Lena’s. Pick up all your ingredients at your local Kroger store for a one stop shop.

Party planning can be daunting, especially around the holidays. I want to help you host a party where you get to relax, enjoy a cocktail or two and mingle with your family and friends.
So, I created these 5 easy prosecco holiday cocktails to give you a fun variety for your guests. All easy to make. Try one or all recipes and share with your guests this holiday season. Also, sharing an easy charcuterie board tutorial to make as a perfect cheese and meat pairing with these cocktails. Set it up and let your guests graze while you get to relax and enjoy the party too.
My favorite part about these cocktails is that all of the work can be done ahead of time. Set it up for your guests to make their own drinks. Then all you have to do is enjoy a fun time playing hostess with the mostess and have fun with your guests.

DAY BEFORE PARTY:
-Clean all your glassware and place them upside down.
– Set up bar cart with glasses, napkins, straws, toothpicks.
-Chill the prosecco, 7UP, juices the night before.
– Set up charcuterie board with bowls and have your utensils ready.
-Make sure you have enough ice to keep drinks cool and use for serving the drinks too.
DAY OF PARTY:
-Prep the fixings for all the drinks.
-Cut and crumble the cheeses.
-Prep and cut the meats for charcuterie.
-Clean grapes for charcuterie.
-Create all the garnishes for each drink and keep cold.
-Make all 5 cocktails or pick one or two for a signature cocktail for your party. Up to you.
Let’s get this party started, shall we? Here are your FIVE festive cocktail recipes using the delicious Ogio Prosecco and 7UP. Cheers!

BLUEBERRY LIME SPRITZ, a fun spin on a spritz. It’s light, fizzy, citrusy and stunning. I love the touch of blueberries for a pop of color

This sweet GINGER PEACH SPARKLE marries ginger and peach together with a refreshing hint of thyme.

Refreshing, light, fruity and bubbly is what this STRAWBERRY PROSECCO SMASH cocktail tastes like — it’s summer in a cup…but should be enjoyed year round!

Not your traditional mimosa recipe. Adding a twist of lime and pineapple to make this a festive PINEAPPLE ORANGE MIMOSA.

This RASPBERRY LIME MIMOSA has a great hint of lime and sweetness from the raspberries. Perfect morning or evening pick me up.

Here are some simple steps you can take to create the perfect charcuterie board. This HOLIDAY CHARCUTERIE BOARD will be the center of attention at any party. Easy to prep ahead and serve to your guests.

Instructions for presentation:
-Cut off ends of manchego cheese, then thinly slice into triangles.
-Lay out the cheeses, place bowls near them. In bowls, add in cornichons, olives, honey and jam. I like to have the jam next to manchego cheese, it goes really well together.
-Add in the prosciutto and salami around the cheeses. Add sliced apples or pears, persimmons and nuts around. Add in the grapes and fill in the middle of the board gaps with nuts, dried fruit and crackers at the edges of the board.
-Serve and enjoy with a few cocktails and friends.

I hope you guys have the happiest of holidays and can’t wait to see you make these 5 easy prosecco holiday cocktails and a beautiful charcuterie board to make your hosting hassle free and enjoyable. Cheers, friends!

Happy Holidays,
Lena

Raspberry Lime Mimosa

We’re back with another beautiful holiday cocktail that is sure to impress at all of your festive get-togethers this season! Today on the menu it’s our subtly classy, not-too-dry but not-too-sweet, Raspberry Lime Mimosa! And don’t let the name fool you — this isn’t just a brunch drink…this is an anytime-of-day-drink!

Once again we are partnering with our dear friend Lena of @lenaskitchenblog to execute these recipes, all of which feature our Corks + Cheers exclusive Ogio Prosecco as well as 7Up!

So, without further ado, here’s what you’ll need to get this cocktail ready:
*makes 4 cocktails
1 cup raspberry lemonade1⁄2 cup Diet 7UP lemon lime soda4 tbsp lime juiceOgio Prosecco to top off each glass Ice
GARNISH
Fresh raspberries4 thin lime slicesStemless champagne flutes or regular

And here’s how you make it:
Add raspberry lemonade to bottom of each glass, then add the Diet 7UP lemon limesoda and lime juice.
Add Ice, top with garnishes.
Top off with prosecco in each glass.

And since we can’t let your guests starve, we have a few cheese pairing suggestions for this drink as well. Again, all cheese options we recommend can be found at your local Kroger!
Pairings for this mimosa are as follows:
Santori Merlot Bellavitano (wine soaked cheese)
Gorganzola Dolce cheese

This little mimosa will be a definite crowd favorite this holiday season! And beware, they’re not just pretty to look at. They’re PRETTY (easy) to drink, too!

All our love to you and yours this holiday season! Cheers to creating special memories and moments with your people!