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| Nelson's Blood |
When I was a little kid, I would sometimes browse through my father’s big book of cocktail recipes (I think it was “Bartender’s Black Book”), dreaming about all the cool drinks I could one day have as an adult. The Pointsetta, a mixture of cranberry juice and Champagne or sparkling white, always stood out to me. Maybe it was my love of cranberry juice, or my fear of the taste of whiskey or vodka, but that drink always sounded so refreshing.
Years later (after I was 21, of course), I actually had a Poinsettia at a New Year’s party. The verdict? Extremely delicious. I went on to discover that there are many cool things you can do with Champagne and sparkling white wines.
Here are a few of my favorite Champagne cocktails, some with my own additions. And don’t forget to visit ChefTools.com and buy a champagnekey or cocktail tools so you can make these drinks right!
Mimosa
A classic Champagne drink, usually served during breakfast or brunch, but tastes good any time. It’s just one part Champagne and 2 parts ice-cold orange juice. I like to add a splash of ginger beer if I’m making these at home. Or, mix the orange juice with some ice, peeled ginger, and sea salt in a blender (to taste) and serve as usual.
French 75
To me, this is just ice, gin, and Champagne. Some recipes call for powdered sugar and lemon rind. If you really want citrus in there, I would use lime or orange; they complement the Champagne better.
Bellini
I’ve only had this drink a few times; it’s a little too time intensive. Mix peach schnapps, peach (or pear, if you want to go nut) juice, lemon juice, and Champagne. The classic recipe calls for fresh picked, fresh squeezed pears – that sounds great, but I neither have access to fresh peaches, nor do I own a juicing machine.
Nelson’s Blood
I’ve only had this once, and it was a long time ago, but I remember it fondly. Mix 1 part Portuguese dessert wine with 5 parts Champagne. The result is a sweet, interestingly colored drink.
Do you have any good Champagne cocktail suggestions? Let us know! Have a happy New Year!
