Happy New Year!
The champagne cocktail is, hands down, my favorite drink. There’s something about adding champagne to a regular cocktail that makes it more exciting to me. They are also extremely easy to make: add the other ingredients to the glass and top with champagne. Voila!
In my opinion, the best champagne cocktails are ones that are mixed with at least two other ingredients, one of which is a hard liquor. I don’t particularly like drinks where juice or syrup is added to champagne–A mimosa just seems like bubbly orange juice to me. But give me a French 75 or a Classic Champagne Cocktail and I am very happy.
Here are some I may be drinking tonight:
French 75
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simple syrup
lemon juice
1 oz gin
champagne
In a glass add a splash of simple syrup, a bigger splash of lemon juice, an ounce of gin, and top off with a glassful of Champagne.
Champagne Cooler
(Pictured above courtesy of White on Rice)
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1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Cognac
Angostura Bitters
Champagne
orange zest
Chill champagne flute. Pour all ingredients except for the champagne into the flute. Slowly add champagne. Garnish with an orange zest.
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1/2 oz triple sec
3 oz cranberry juice
orange twist
champagne
In the glass, combine the triple sec and cranberry juice. Add the orange juice twist, top with the champagne, and serve.
Pear Brandy Champagne Cocktail
(This recipe makes four cocktails)
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1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons French pear brandy
2 2/3 cups chilled champagne
1 Seckle or small Bosc pear
1. In a small saucepan, heat sugar and 1/4 cup pear brandy over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat and cool syrup.
3. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup into each of 4 champagne glasses and add 1 teaspoon pear brandy to each glass.
4. Add 2/3 cup champagne to each glass and stir well.
5. Cut pear lengthwise into thin slices and add 1 slice to each cocktail.
And finally, the Classic Champagne Cocktail
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1 cube sugar
Angostura bitters
1 oz brandy
Champagne
Soak a sugar cube in the champagne flute with a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, add the brandy and top up with bubbly.
Happy New Year!
