Pink Planet

Pink Planet is a frozen strawberry sparkler, and one of the more thought-through recipes in the pink corner of the catalog. Pureed strawberries, strawberry liqueur, lemon juice and a little superfine sugar are blended briefly with crushed ice, poured into a wine glass and topped with champagne.

The rim is part of the recipe too. It gets wet with strawberry liqueur and dipped in caster sugar, so the first thing you taste is sweet berry before the tart, fizzy drink behind it.

The balance is good. The lemon keeps the fruit bright and stops the sugar from getting cloying, and the champagne goes in last, so it lifts the slush rather than getting blended flat. It is a natural brunch or summer party drink, close in spirit to a frozen Bellini or a Rossini, the strawberry and prosecco cousin of the Bellini, but with more body from the puree.

Glass: White wine glass | Strength: Light | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 6 minutes

Bartenders tip: Blend briefly, just enough to break up the ice, or the drink turns watery before the champagne even goes in. Ripe, in-season strawberries make a real difference, and frozen berries are a better fallback than pale supermarket ones in winter. Pour the champagne slowly down the side of the glass so it does not foam over the slush. Since there are only three ounces of it against a lot of fruit, a dry cava or prosecco does the job and saves the good bottle for sipping.