Champagne Cocktail
- Joe S.
- Jan 20, 2021
- 3 min read
Simple, refreshing, elegant, and above all: easy to make. This Champagne cocktail will be a new favorite of yours!
Prep time: about 1 minute
Cooking time: 0
Yield depends on the size of the champagne bottle
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free
A new favorite of mine and hopefully of yours!
This easy to make cocktail only requires three basic ingredients and two optional garnishes yet it is very refreshing, flavorful, crisp, and memorable!
This wonderful cocktail has been around at least over 150 years and, although it is not as well known or celebrated as other cocktails, it holds its ground when it comes to being a delectable and outstanding libation worthy to be a part of any celebration!
This is my interpretation of the cocktail. I have decided to depart from the traditional route and add my own personal touches. I hope you will like it as much as I do.
What is a champagne cocktail?
A champagne cocktail is an alcoholic drink made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy and a maraschino cherry as a garnish. It is one of the IBA official cocktails.
A recipe for the cocktail appears as early as "Professor" Jerry Thomas' Bon Vivant's Companion (1862), which omits the brandy or cognac and is considered to be the "classic" American version. Harry Johnson was one of the bartenders who revived the model by adding other fruit to the mix.
What is the flavor profile?
Crisp and sharp with sweet citrusy notes.
What Ingredients will I need to make this?
Champagne, old fashion aromatic bitters, sugar cane cubes, fresh rosemary twigs (optional), and cranberries (optional).
What else will I need to make this?
All you need is the champagne flutes and some paper napkins.
Can I make substitutions or additions?
Yes. You could use an Italian Prosecco or Spanish Cava instead of champagne.
You could also use an orange slice instead of the cranberries and/or rosemary...although the rosemary gives it a nice aromatic tone to the cocktail.
What is "Old Fashion Aromatic Bitters"?
A bitters (plural also bitters) is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter so that the end result is characterized by a bitter, or bittersweet flavor.
Numerous longstanding brands of bitters were originally developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and cocktail flavorings.
Since cocktails often contain sour and sweet flavors, bitters are used to engage another primary taste and thereby balance out the drink and make it more complex, giving it a more complete flavor profile.
What are the ingredients in bitters?
The botanical ingredients used in preparing bitters have historically consisted of aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavor and medicinal properties. Some of the more common ingredients are cascarilla, cassia, gentian, orange peel, and cinchona bark.
Most bitters contain both water and alcohol, the latter of which functions as a solvent for botanical extracts as well as a preservative. The alcoholic strength of bitters varies widely across brands and styles.
Ingredients
Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava
1 sugar cane cube per cocktail
5 drops of Old Fashion Aromatic Bitters per cocktail
1 fresh rosemary twig per cocktail (optional)
3 fresh or frozen cranberries per cocktail (optional)
Method
Place a folded paper napkin over the rim of each champagne flute.
Place a sugar cube in the center of each napkin and add 5 drops of the old fashion bitters onto the sugar cube. Allow the cube to absorb the bitters.
Remove the napkin from the champagne flute rim and let the cube fall into the bottom of the flute.
Slowly add champagne to each flute, stopping half way through to allow the champagne to settle. Once it has settle, fill each flute to the desire quantity.
Garnish with a rosemary twig and the cranberries.
Enjoy!!!
Printable recipe (pdf) below:
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