Drinking o' the Green

Drinking green stuff is fun, no matter how old or young you are. To be festive, there are all kinds of green drinks you can serve, from fizzy punch with floating islands of lime sherbet to cocktails with a little crème de menthe shaken into them.

Here's a handy list of ingredients that will give your drinks that delightful emerald hue you're looking for:

• Crème de menthe liqueur
• Melon liqueur
• Green Chartreuse liqueur
• Green food coloring
• Crushed mint leaves
• Lime sherbet
• Pistachio ice cream
• Mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Lime-flavored gelatin
• Lime-flavored drink powder
• Limeade

For green garnishes, there are mint leaves, lime slices and twists of lime zest, slices of kiwi, green olives, slices of cucumber, celery stalks, or even ice cubes made from green punch.

Why Does Wine Need to Breathe?

The whole concept of letting wine breathe, or aerate, is to deliberately expose the wine to the air allowing the exchange of wine molecules with air molecules.  This has an affect on the wine’s flavor as well as the aroma.  Opening a bottle and pouring a glass does provide some aeration, as will swirling your glass of wine.  For more extreme aeration, decanting a wine works well.  Also, there are many types of aerators on the market that allow you to aerate by the glass.

Typically red wines that are five years or younger will benefit the most from aeration.  The more tannins a wine has the more beneficial aerating can be.  Mature wines, both white and red, become more delicate as they age.  These wines will benefit most from decanting and have a small window of aeration opportunity before the flavor profiles begin to deteriorate.

Wine Globes are a handy wine aerating tool.  Instead of holding the aerator over the glass and pouring the wine through the aerator, the Wine Globe plugs directly into the wine bottle and tilts with the bottle to aerate as you pour the wine.  The wine works through the funnel chamber to mingle with the oxygen for optimal aeration.  It also features a dripless spout so you can pour time and time again without accidentally spilling.   This method allows for aerating a single glass of wine at a time causing the wine to open up and express itself with more intense aromas and flavors.

Visit the Party Shop in Lenexa or Prairie Village and check out the variety of aerators and decanters available.

Both Rimann Liquors locations are locally owned and operated.  Meet our friendly, helpful staff and find out more about who we are.

Learn about wine, beer and spirits. Beverage tips, wine terms, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Be it shaken or stirred, cocktails and mixed drinks never go out of fashion.  Spirits, drink recipes and the latest trends in mixology.

Our traditional newsletter recipes are now available online!  Also included are recipes from our staff with advice on wine and beer pairings.