Sparkling wine cocktails are not just for winter brunch.
Besides those daunting resolutions, the ultimate new year’s dilemma has got to be how to use up those unused bottles of bubbly from last year’s festivities.
The definitive Champagne cocktail patiently awaits.
One of the Originals
Along with drinks such as the Sazerac and the gin fizz, the Champagne cocktail ranks as one of the oldest. The mixture of Champagne (or sparkling wine), brandy, sugar, Angostura bitters, and a maraschino cherry garnish has been enjoyed since the mid-1800s.
A Champagne cocktail is traditionally made with the famous sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region of France. However, most bartenders tend to use less-expensive sparkling wines from other areas of the world, as well as Prosecco, a sparkling white wine from Italy, or cava, a sparkling wine from Spain.
“There are some really beautifully introduced American sparkling wines that are just as formidable as Champagne,” says Dylan Evans, owner of 1864 Tavern in Reno. “I like Prosecco because it tends to be drier, and people like it because it can be sweeter.”
That might be why the mimosa with sparkling wine and orange juice is a hit with the brunch crowd. However, while sparkling wine is considered a “lighter” alcohol, it has been proven that the carbon dioxide gas that forms the bubbles in Champagne and sparkling wine causes the alcohol to hit your bloodstream faster.
While sparkling wine is the star of the cocktail, it’s also about 85 percent water.
“What home bartenders should also know is that sparkling wine is a dilution, and a drink can become overwatered very quickly,” Evans says.
Another concern with using sparkling wine in cocktails is that once the bottle is opened, it has a limited shelf life. Evans remedies this by using it in a punch that serves a larger crowd. He also uses Champagne and sparkling wine as a simple syrup in other cocktails.
“When Champagne bitters and flattens out, it can be really beautiful,” Evans says. “We let the Champagne go flat and then we’ll add sugar.”
That simple syrup could be used in a version of one of 1864’s favorite cocktails: the French 75.
“It was one of the first classic cocktails that I ever had,” Evans says. “And I thought, ‘Now I get why people drink cocktails. This is amazing, with a balance of lemon, a little bit of simple syrup, and Champagne to dry it out.’”
Viva la France
The French 75 is made with gin, lemon juice, sugar, and Champagne. Crafted around the time of Prohibition, it was named after the 75-millimeter field gun used in WWI by French soldiers.
KJ Flippen, owner of The Z Bar in Reno, also has seen a resurgence of the French 75 cocktail and serves quite a few of them.
“Honestly, I think if more restaurants offered the French 75 over mimosas, people would go for that more,” Flippen says. “It’s lighter and more refreshing.”
Katie Pier-Camper, manager of the Bank Saloon in Carson City, agrees wholeheartedly.
“It’s delicious,” Pier-Camper says. “I’m not really much of a gin person, but it balances really well with the Champagne on top. I love Champagne.”
And the Bank Saloon uses the real stuff. The bar keeps six-ounce Korbel Brut Champagne splits on hand just for individual French 75 cocktails, as well as its own house version, Bank 75. Pier-Camper likes to use Empress 1908 gin because it changes from purple to blue when citrus is added. The bar then garnishes both the French 75 and Bank 75 cocktails with dehydrated fruit.
These little embellishments set the individual drinks apart from each other, but the essential ingredients remain the same.
“I honestly think that a lot of people are going back to the classic cocktails from the Prohibition era,” Pier-Camper says. “A lot more bartenders are wanting to go back to simpler times and then elevate the drinks in their own ways.”
French 75 Cocktail
(courtesy of Katie Pier-Camper, manager, Bank Saloon in Carson City. Serves 1)
¼ ounce St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1½ ounces Empress 1908 gin
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
1½ ounces Champagne, sparkling wine, or Prosecco
Add the liqueur, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Pour into a coupe glass and top with Champagne.
Sparkling Like Royalty
(courtesy of KJ Flippen, owner/operator, The Z Bar in Midtown Reno. Serves 1)
1 ounce gin
½ ounce crème de violette liqueur
½ ounce lemon juice
Champagne or Prosecco
Combine gin, crème de violette, and lemon juice with ice in a shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into Champagne flute, fill to top with Champagne or Prosecco, then garnish with a lemon peel.
Jive & Sparkle
(courtesy of KJ Flippen, owner/operator, The Z Bar in Midtown Reno. Serves 1)
1 ounce gin
½ ounce orange juice
½ ounce simple syrup
2 crushed basil leaves
Champagne or Prosecco
3 crushed strawberries
Combine gin, orange juice, simple syrup, and basil leaves with ice in a shaker and shake until chilled. Pour into coupe glass, fill to top with Champagne or Prosecco, then garnish with strawberry.
Pahranagat Punch
(courtesy of Dylan Evans, owner, 1864 Tavern in Reno. Serves about 12)
1 liter rye whiskey
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
20 dashes Angostura bitters
10 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 bottles Champagne, sparkling wine, or Prosecco
½ grated fresh nutmeg seed or 1 tablespoon dried nutmeg
5 cups mint leaves (de-stemmed)
Stir white and brown sugar with rye whiskey until dissolved. Stir in lemon juice, orange juice, bitters, and Champagne or sparkling wine. Add nutmeg and mint. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve in a punch bowl.
