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    Father Time, Fireworks & Fizz

    A toast to the New Year: The ultimate bubbly cocktail recipes to ring it inright

    Davon D.E. Hatchett
    Dec 29, 2012 | 6:00 pm

    It's almost New Year's Eve and you know what that means: It's time to break out the bubbly. Come Dec. 31, the collective sounds of corks popping and glasses clinking will be heard all across the globe as celebrants toast to a brand new year.

    While it is a celebration of a "new" year, the annual festivity to signify a fresh start is actually one of the oldest of traditions, first observed by the ancient Babylonians almost 4,000 years ago — and it's the wine-loving Greeks and Romans who came later that we have to thank for the tradition of toasting to the New Year.

    It was thought that one's luck could be affected by what that person ate or drank on the first day of the New Year. The ancient Greeks and Romans would pour wine into a common pitcher to be shared among guests.

     

      After its emergence on the scene,  champagne became the toasting beverage of choice around the 18th century because of its inherent sparkling, festive nature.

    Wine was considerably more acidic back then, so to make it more palatable a small piece of burnt toast was floated in the wine to absorb the excess acid. The last person to drink the wine would eat the toast, hence the practice of toasting was born.

    After its emergence on the scene, champagne became the toasting beverage of choice around the 18th century because of its inherent sparkling, festive nature.

    For those looking to have an extra dose of "festive-ness" in your celebratory libations, below are some inventive champagne cocktail recipes — whether you need to forget some old acquaintances or toast to new ones, these effervescent sips are sure to help you ring in the New Year in style.

     Happy New Year (reprinted from Colleen Graham, About.com Cocktails)

    This champagne cocktail has more depth due to the addition of port and brandy — it'll really knock your socks off.

    1/4 ounce brandy
    3/4 ounce ruby port (Sandeman's 10 year port preferred)
    3/4 ounce orange juice
    4 ounces champagne

    Pour the brandy, port and orange juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute and top with champagne.

     Scotch Fizz (reprinted from Foodandstyle.com, courtesy of Viviane Bauquet Farre)

    Sure to rebuff anyone that scoffs about bubbly cocktails being too "girly," this drink combines single malt scotch and champagne. The Cointreau rounds out the flavors with a hint of sweetness.

    2 ounces of single malt scotch
    3/4 ounce Cointreau
    12 ounces champagne or sparkling wine
    4 large lemon peels

    Shake Scotch and Cointreau with ice cubes until shaker is frosted. Divide into 4 chilled champagne flutes. Top with the champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the lemon peel and serve.

    Serves four.

     Kiss at the Stroke of Midnight

    It's no secret that I love bubbly. This cocktail is the original recipe of my champagne-obsessed alter ego, "The Bubbleista." Inspired by that pivotal smooch on the lips, it's all of the things a great kiss should be: Sweet with an edge of tartness; exotic and luscious; fragrant and tingly; and lastly, soft but with a little bit of unexpected spice.

    1 small jar or can of lychees in light syrup
    3 raspberries
    1 small mint leaf
    1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
    1/2 oz grapefruit juice
    1/4 teaspoon rose water (found at Specialty and Middle Eastern markets), optional
    1 ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
    3 ounces brut champagne (or sparkling wine)

    Remove 2-3 lychee berries from the jar and place into a cocktail shaker. Add the raspberries, mint and brown sugar into the cocktail shaker and muddle until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Pour the grapefruit juice, rose water and St. Germain into the shaker, add ice and shake gently until all of the ingredients meld beautifully. Strain into a champagne flute and top off with the champagne or sparkling wine.

    Serves one — but, like a kiss, it should definitely be shared.

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    Matcha News

    TikTok star Keith Lee crafts matcha latte for Hill Country flood relief

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 11, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Keith Lee and matcha drink
    Instagram
    Keith Lee hoists his special matcha drink.

    The devastating floods that swept across Central Texas on July 4 are bringing out all kinds of charitable endeavors — and that includes a limited-edition beverage from Texas-based TikTok food influencer Keith Lee.

    Lee, a social media sensation whose online food reviews have benefited hundreds of small restaurants, is partnering with La La Land Kind Cafe on a special drink: Called the La La Land X Keith Lee Latte, it's a matcha drink in which 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards Kerr County flood relief.

    La La Land is the coffee chain founded in Dallas in 2019 with a mission to provide opportunities for fostering youth and individuals in need. It has three locations in Houston, along with 10 across Dallas-Fort Worth and six in Southern California.

    The new Keith Lee Latte will consist of double ceremonial matcha, with secret syrup, matcha cloud, a whole fresh strawberry, flaky salt, and matcha powder. (See Lee enjoy the latte in the video below.)


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by Keith Lee (@keith_lee125)
     


    Matcha is the Japanese green tea powder that has experienced a surge in popularity, appearing in everything from drinks like the matcha latte to desserts like matcha mousse.

     Keith Lee Latte Keith Lee Latte is a matcha drink.Instagram 

    Lee, who relocated to Dallas in 2024, has been on a matcha kick ever since he tried it in Chicago, which he says "led me down a rabbit hole," and it has become his trademark drink. In May, he visited seven cafes across DFW in search of the perfect matcha in town, and that included La La Land, where he ordered a matcha with almond milk.

    He also has a charitable history, including a special visit he made to Taste Project in Fort Worth to donate $4,000 to support the nonprofit's mission to fight food insecurity.

    The Keith Lee Latte will be available at all La La Land cafes beginning Friday July 11, for a limited time only. From July 11-27, 100 percent of all proceeds will support flood relief efforts in Kerr County — "a community in our home state that’s hurting," La La Land Cafe says.

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