I love to kick off a gathering with something festive and bubbly. There’s just something about handing your guests a sparkling beverage right as they enter your home that sets a fun and lively tone to an evening – or brunch!
Whether I’m crafting a signature cocktail or serving right out of the bottle, a welcome cocktail at our house almost always contains some kind of bubbles. After all, there’s a reason people “pop the bubbly” when they’re celebrating something special. So, why not bring a little sparkle to this classic cocktail?
While we end with a splash of bubbles, we begin with something even more delicious: quince. The fruit itself resembles a pear or apple, but quince cannot be eaten raw. Since it has to be cooked, it’s a very labor-intensive fruit, but the fragrance of it once it’s cooked is wonderfully sweet and full of citrus notes. That’s likely why the folks at Whitley Neill thought it would be a great fruit to infuse with gin.
Infused liquors are sometimes an afterthought, but I can’t stress how nice it is to have a few at home. It really elevates a home bar. I love keeping elderflower-infused liqueur, limoncello, and creme de cassis on-hand. When I sampled Whitley Neill’s quince-infused gin, it became an instant hit for me. I love that it’s subtle and delicate yet imparts a fruity, citrus taste. To me, it’s perfect for a good gin and tonic.
Here’s how we made ours with our friends from Whitley Neill:
Ingredients:
Prosecco
Tonic
Lime
Thyme sprigs
Directions:
Begin by pouring 2 ounces of gin. We might have added a splash extra. It’s too tasty not to. Then, pour in 4 to 5 ounces of tonic water. Squeeze in a segment of lime and gently stir to mix.
When you’re ready to serve, top it off with a generous splash of prosecco for that bubbly effervescence and drop a thyme sprig in.
We served ours in champagne flutes, but this drink would look just as lovely in an Old Fashioned glass with a large cube of spherical ice.
Enjoy!
Thanks to The Baddish Group for sending us a bottle of Whitley Neill quince gin to try for this post. Needless to say, it’s now a favorite in our bar. It’s thanks to our fabulous sponsors and partners that we’re able to continue creating exciting and fun content for y’all. As always, the brands we partner with are ones we’re already fans of and use frequently.
