it all started with the film moonstruck for me. i remember the scene with loretta (played by cher) and her father toasting her upcoming wedding with champagne into which they dropped sugar cubes. i remember thinking, who would put sugar cubes into ones drink, especially a glass of champagne. but years later i looked further into this and found that putting sugar cubes into spirited drinks was a popular thing in the victorian era, and some people still do it today. hence the champagne cocktail.
i've had this bottle of cheap champagne sitting in my fridge for some time and thought to try out the champagne cocktail. one logical choice would be to use the champagne for mimosas or for a bellinis but i thought hell let's try something different.
mimosa recipe:
one part chilled champagne (or sparkling wine)
one part chilled orange juice
served in a tall champagne flute
bellini recipe:
one part peach puree
two parts sparkling wine (or prosecco)
served in a tall champagne flute
champagne cocktail recipe:
1 cube of sugar soaked with angostura bitters
dry champagne (or sparkling wine)
served in a tall champagne flute
*some recipes also add an ounce of brandy
with a slice of orange and a cherry for garnish (optional)
the champagne cocktail wasn't anything special. i could see how someone who doesn't drink a whole lot would like this drink because it's a lot sweeter and the sugar cuts some of the alcohol. i didn't have it with the brandy or any of the garnishes, so it was just a dry champagne with a sugar cube soaked in angostura bitters at the bottom of a flute. it was fun and whimsical and an excuse to try a new drink. so i'm not complaining because i got trashy.
so enjoy your drinking, i sure did. xoxo.
