Drink ideas for your Candle-Light-Dinner
The right drinks add just the right touch to a candlelight dinner – for example, a good wine with dinner, or a unique cocktail to awaken an appetite for more.
Candle Light Starter
Pink Lady
Ingredients (1 glass):
Lemon juice
Sugar
4 cl Cherry brandy
About 10 cl Grapefruit juice
About 5 cl Lemon soda
Preparation:
Pour cherry brandy over ice into a highball glass. Fill with grapefruit juice and lemon soda and garnish with a slice of grapefruit or star fruit (optional).
Prep time: About 5 minutes
A dry white wine with the soup and fish courses
Serve a fine, fruity white wine, such as a Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio, a white or gray Burgundy, or a Riesling. The ideal drinking temperature is between 8 and 9 degrees Celsius (in other words, just above normal refrigerator temperature). But a superior quality white Burgundy should always be drunk at „cellar temperature“, or about 13 degrees Celsius.
A Prosecco or Champagne Sherbet as a „Cool Down“ between courses
A sparkling refresher between the fish and the main courses is always a good idea. Simply pour Champagne or Prosecco over a scoop of lemon sherbet and serve in iced champagne goblets. Ice the goblets by placing them in your freezer 2 hours before the dinner. This gives them a frosted look and enhances the sparkling taste.
A full-bodied red with duck breast
We recommend a light red wine with mild, light residual sweetness, such as a Chianti or a Chianti Riserva. The 10-year old Chianti Riserva elegantly captures the warmth and roundness of Italian wine, has a strong bouquet, stays especially lively, and is thus perfect for special occasions.
A Beaujolais is another excellent choice. There are generally 2 types of Beaujolais. One is the primeur or nouveau. This wine is intended for immediate consumption and not for aging. The primeur debuts each year on the third Thursday in November. This is a fixed date on which this wine is released for consumption and sale. Then there is the Beaujolais Village, which can be cellared well for 1 – 5 years and only reaches its full glory over time. Beaujolais is generally a tangy, dry, fruity wine, with individual taste nuances that vary depending on the vintage.
Beaujolais and Chianti are light-bodied red wines that are drunk ideally at a temperature of 11 degrees Celsius (about cellar temperature).
Specialty coffees with the Amaretto Hearts
Capuccino or Espresso goes very well with the freshly baked Amaretto hearts.
A Calvados or Grappa after the dessert course
A superb Calvados bears the origin designation „Calvados du Pays d’Auge“. It is drunk either hand-warm like Cognac or slightly cooled. A good Calvados must age at least 6-7 years in oak barrels. For a higher-proof drink, choose Grappa. This is a very hearty brandy with 50 percent alcohol by volume. Grappa made with red wine is full-bodied with a strong flavor, and Grappa made with white wine is finer and spicier. Grappa became fashionable based on the writings of Hemingway, whose main heroes were often rejuvenated after a generous slug of Trester brandy.
For something extra special, serve the following digestif:
Red Kisses
Ingredients (1 glass):
4 cl Cherry brandy
2 cl Grappa
1 cl Lime juice
Preparation:
Shake cherry brandy, Grappa, and lime juice with ice cubes and strain into a glass. Garnish with lime.