Sparkling wines a bubbly base for joyous cocktails
Break out the coupes and Champagne flutes, and – as Dom Pérignon supposedly said when he sampled his first sip – taste “stars.”
It’s time to make merry.
Champagne and sparkling wine are synonymous with joyful occasions, especially ringing in the new year. That’s because opening a bottle of bubbly – any bubbly – seems like a celebration or the start of a party or, at the very least, the start of something.
The sparkles float up and tickle your nose with little explosions of fizz and flavor.
While you’ll want to save the Dom and Veuve Clicquot to drink on their own, less expensive bubbly is best for cocktails.
Dress up flutes of sparkling wine or a classic Champagne cocktail with pops of color from pomegranate seeds, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberry slivers or sprigs of rosemary.
Mix up a pitcher – or four – of punch, like Elderflower Champagne or Spiced Blood Orange Champagne.
And then tonight, as poet William Blake wrote, “Arise and drink your bliss.”
Elderflower-Champagne Punch
Sugar and St. Germain add an undertone of sweetness to this tart, sparkling punch. Float lemon slices in the punch bowl for garnish or drop a couple of fresh cranberries in Champagne flutes, like I did.
1 cup lemon juice (from 8 lemons)
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 bottles (750 milliliters each) chilled Champagne or other sparkling wine
1 cup chilled cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain
Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
Fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)
In a punch bowl, stir together lemon juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add wine, cranberry juice cocktail and elderflower liqueur; stir gently to combine. To serve, top with lemon slices or fresh cranberries.
Serves: 10
Spiced Blood Orange-Champagne Punch
3 cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
1 cup dry white wine
1 (500 milliliter) bottle brut Champagne, chilled
Place the blood orange juice, sugar, cinnamon and star anise in a small pot and bring to a boil, over medium-high heat.
Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium/medium-low and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes.
While the mixture is still hot, stir in the white wine until completely combined. Allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator to chill, at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, place 3 tablespoons of the blood orange mixture into the bottom of each glass and top with chilled Champagne (about 1/2 to 2/3 full).
Serves: 3 to 5
Pomegranate-Champagne Punch
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 bottle (750 milliliter) Champagne
In a large pitcher, combine pomegranate juice, pear nectar and orange-flavored liqueur. Slowly add Champagne. Serve over ice.
Classic Champagne Cocktail
From “Cocktails for Book Lovers” by Tessa Smith McGovern
1 sugar cube
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 ounce brandy
Champagne
Twist of lemon for garnish (optional)
Orange slice for garnish (optional)
Maraschino cherry for garnish (optional)
Place sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne flute. Use the dashes of bitters to saturate the cube. Add the brandy. Fill with Champagne and garnish with a twist of lemon or orange and a cherry.
Serves: 1
Orange-Champagne Punch
From “Cocktails for Book Lovers” by Tessa Smith McGovern
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
1 bottle chilled Champagne
Lime peel for garnish
Maraschino cherry for garnish
In a large punch bowl or pitcher, stir orange juice, cherry juice, rum and brandy to blend. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Add Champagne just before serving. Garnish with lime peel and cherry.
Serves: 6
Kir Royale
From “Cocktails for Book Lovers” by Tessa Smith McGovern
1 part crème de cassis
5 parts Champagne
1 maraschino cherry
Pour crème de cassis into a glass or Champagne flute, and gently pour Champagne on top. Garnish with cherry.
Serves: 1
French 75
From www.saveur.com
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
Brut Champagne or a dry sparkling white wine
Lemon twist, to garnish
Combine gin, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a glass. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist to serve.
Serves: 1
Champagne Holiday Punch
From betweennapsontheporch.net
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 bottle Champagne, chilled
Small amount of orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier
Red sugar, for garnish
Green sugar, for garnish
In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon and cloves. Cool to room temperature and pour into a large pitcher. Add cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Chill in fridge until ready to serve. At serving time, add Champagne.
When serving, put red sugar, green sugar and Grand Marnier in a three-part dish or in three separate bowls. Dip rim of glass into the Grand Marnier, then into one of the sugars.