"champagne punch" news and stories

If you love Champagne and want to keep it flowing all night, mix up a punchbowl along with your naked bottles of bubbly. This recipe brings pineapple juice, Cointreau, brandy, and seltzer into the mix for a lively, refreshing drink that screams "festive"! Of course, you might not want to use the extra-special Taittinger Champagne for a punch; less expensive sparkling wines will do just fine. (For sparkler recommendations, see Bargain Bubblies.)

Champagne Punch Recipe

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Are you familiar with Retro Housewife? It's one of the coolest destinations on the web, filled with lots of retro and nostalgic goodness. There are sections on fashion, furniture, books, home tips, even a blog (warning: if you're at work, don't click on that link, you'll get nothing done the rest of the day!). You don't have to be a housewife to enjoy it. Their recipe section is a ton of fun: recipes from decades gone by, with the country of origin listed too.

This American recipe is for Champagne Punch. I can picture Rob and Laura Petrie serving this during one of their hip parties where everyone gets up and performs a song or tells jokes. Full recipe after the jump.

At about this time last year, we took a look at a couple of the most fattening cocktails out there. This list, which includes Pina Coladas and Long Island iced teas, still stands, but during the holiday season you're not going to be reaching for a fruity, ice blended concoction if it's snowing outside. Holiday drinks can be hot and steamy or rich and creamy, but it's a good idea to keep tabs on the calorie counts to avoid blowing your efforts to keep your diet under control during the holidays. Here are a couple of calorie counts for some common seasonal drinks:

• Hot spiced cider is usually only lightly sweetened, since apple juice is naturally sweet anyway. A half-cup serving has only about 80 calories.
• Hot buttered rum has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, which involves a bit of buttery batter being stirred into a cup with a shot of rum and hot water.
• Eggnog, if you're opting for a tradition version, will have about 450 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving. Fortunately, there are some ways to lighten it up a bit, like using a milk-based recipe, rather than a cream-based one. A part-milk, part-cream recipe should give you a middle ground.
• Hot Cocoa could have up to 300 calories and 8.5 grams of fat per serving, excluding whipped cream or marshmallows, but can also be lightened by using a lower fat milk in the recipe.
• Champagne Punch is bubbly, refreshing and packed with fruity flavors that are more festive than summery. A half-cup serving will run about 105 calories.
• Chai Lattes can really warm you up with spices and are a nice change from sweet ciders and thick nogs. A one-cup serving will probably come out around 110 calories and 3 grams of fat, although this is also a recipe that could use lower fat milk.

There are many more drinks to choose from this season, and not all of them will be high in fat or calories, but keeping these drinks in your mind as treats will help you to keep your intake under control and to enjoy them more during the holidays.