A few weeks ago we were at Lin's and Crystal's house and had some Mimosas (sparkling wine and orange juice). Very yummy. And, by the way, when you're mixing the wine with juice, a cheaper wine usually does better. Cook's Spumante is our choice at home -- at least for mixing Mimosas, the added sugar helps make for a sweeter drink. The drinks were good, the company great, and we had a wonderful visit with them.
Now, I've always liked mimosas, but seeing as it's hot as you-know-what outside, my wife and I decided to add a little chill to our version. So we bought some orange sherbet to add to the sparkling wine. It's actually quite yummy, but it's not quite perfect. There's just something missing from it... a certain bite or flavor that would take it over the top. My first thought was to strengthen the orange flavor with some triple sec, but alas, we're out (yes, I need to hit Spec's and restock). So I thought about it a bit and then decided to try adding some Pama liqueur to it. Pama is a very sweet pomegranate liqueur that is a very pleasing mix of sweet and sour. And with it, a little bit goes a long way. So, I poured the sparkling wine, added half a glass of orange sherbet, mixed (use a fork; it helps break up the sherbet) and then added a nice shot of Pama. Then I tasted it, and liked it. I took it into the living room and gave it to my wife to taste. She took a sip, sat there with an odd look on her face, and then took another sip. I couldn't tell what the heck she was thinking, then she said, "It's not bad. In fact, I like it."
She liked it, but I could tell she didn't love it.
I couldn't blame her. It was good, but not great. It needed something else, and I couldn't get it out of my head that what it needed was some citris. So, I added a nice squeeze of lime juice (I also had lemon juice, but thought the lime would be a little sweeter, which was what I was trying to enhance). I sipped it and really liked it this time. But, it needed to pass the taste test of my wife. She's much more discriminating about subtle flavors than I am. So, I presented it to her and she took one sip, and her face lit up!
"This is good," she delcared, and proceeded to drink about half the glass.
Like me, she was quite surprised at what a simple shot of lime did to balance the flavors. This is a very sweet drink with a strong orange flavor, but the Pama and the lime really help balance the sweet and the tart.
So, preserved for posterity, here's my recipe for the Frozen PAMAmosa
- Start with a wine glass.
- Fill it halfway with orange sherbet
- Slowly Fill it with Cook's Spumante
(stir occassionally to blend, and let the sherbet foam die down) - Add 1/2 - 1 oz. of PAMA liqueur
(this is a strong liqueur, so start small and experiment to find what tastes good to you) - A squeeze of lime juice
(garnish with a lime slice, if you're using fresh lime)
If you make one, let me know what you think of it.
External Links:
www.pamaliqueur.com
www.cookschampagne.com
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