The festive season is upon us, and ’tis the season for bubbly drinks to match the mood.
A great addition to your next get-together is a champagne cocktail. The choice is endless, all tastes can be catered for, and the good news is, you can turn an ordinary, affordable bottle of bubbles into something that zings. All recipes work just as well with a cheap and cheerful prosecco, domestic sparkling wine or cava.
Here are five of our favourites.
Classic champagne cocktail
The original, and still one of the best. Place sugar cubes on a small dish and drizzle with Angostura bitters, maybe turning them a few times to ensure they are fully coated with the liquid. Add one cube to each flute, top with a small measure of cognac and slowly pour champagne over. Best served with an orange twist. Leave the cognac out for less of a kick.
Mimosa
Fancy name for a very simple cocktail. Beloved of all boozy brunches and hen’s nights everywhere, this drink is simply equal parts champagne and orange juice. Works best with fresh juice, none of that nasty cheap supermarket stuff here, thank you very much. The good news is as it’s so simple, it’s easy to ‘fancy’ it up a bit. Try blood orange juice or a mix of citruses, cranberry juice or apple cider instead of orange juice. And you can up the alcohol level with a splash of a citrus liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
Aperol spritz
The drink of the decade, it’s a rare pub or bar that doesn’t serve this in some form. The good news is, you can enjoy it home for a fraction of the price. As the name suggests, you will need a bottle of Aperol, an aperitif first made in Italy early last century, but available just about everywhere these days.
Pour three parts prosecco or champagne into a large glass over ice followed by two parts Aperol, add a splash of soda water and garnish with a citrus twist or slice of orange. The vibrant orange colour adds energy whatever the season. Once again, it’s easy to elevate it to the next level maybe with a splash of sparkling cranberry juice or orange liqueur instead of soda water.
Champagne punch
I dearly wish punch would come roaring back into fashion. I love the scope a large volume of drink gives you to experiment with flavour. Your imagination is your only limitation when it comes to champagne punch. Having said that, why not play on Christmas flavours for a Christmas punch?
Over plenty of ice add one bottle of sparkling wine, one bottle of alcoholic or non-alcoholic cider depending on your taste, same with ginger beer and then cranberry juice to taste. If that’s all a bit too much flavour and/or alcohol, dial it back with lemonade or soda water. Garnish with orange slices, whole cranberries, star anise and cinnamon sticks.
Bellini
Simple to make, but hard to get right, but practice makes perfect. Or drunk. It all starts with the peaches. This is best made with the more delicate taste of a white peach, but while yellow peaches will do, but they should be very ripe either way. First blanch your peach in hot water for about 20 seconds, allow to cool and then peel and then discard the pit. Whizz it up in a blender or food processor with a splash of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar per four peaches. At this point, you can add more lemon juice or sugar to taste. For an even smoother drink, push the pulp through a sieve. Pour two measures into a champagne flute and then top with the sparkling wine of your choice.
There’s a lot that can go wrong with a bellini, so I suggest experimenting before you serve it up to guests. I learnt this one the hard way.
What’s your favourite cocktail? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: Best budget cocktails and mocktails
