Champagne Cocktail

The Champagne Cocktail is an ancient recipe that’s so far out, it’s back in again. We like the proportions of this recipe from Simon Difford’s Cocktails: The Bartender’s Bible, which was featured in The Washington Post a few years ago. It’s really more of a template than a hard-and-fast recipe; it’s a great canvas for experimentation with spirits and bitters. It doesn’t even strictly require Champagne; any dry sparkling wine will do.

Nobody knows the origins of this drink, but it goes back at least as far as the mid-19th century, when sparkling drinks became the must-have trendy drinks among elites in America and Britain. Older recipes call for the addition of an ice cube or two, which we prefer to modern ice-less recipes; if you don’t keep your brandy or other spirit chilled, it’ll warm up the drink unpleasantly without the ice cube.

You’ll notice that the sugar cube doesn’t completely dissolve. Resist the urge to break it down with a barspoon – it’s meant to stay mostly whole, serving as a medium to soak up the bitters before they’re carried into the drink by the sparkling bubbles.