Celebrate with Champagne

If there was ever a night to break out the bubbly, New Year's Eve is it.

Below are a few of my favorite cocktail recipes that include champagne.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
Champagne
Lemon or orange twist, for garnish

 

Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and drop into a champagne flute. Top with a luxury champagne or a sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist. 

Raspberry Champagne Cocktail

4 oz. fresh raspberries
3 Tbs. crème de cassis
1 bottle (750ml) dry Champagne, chilled
4 to 6 tsp. grenadine syrup (optional) 

 

Put the raspberries in a small bowl, add the crème de cassis and let macerate for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the raspberries among 6 Champagne flutes and pour in the well-chilled Champagne. Add grenadine to taste and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Kir Royale

 crème de cassis

 champagne or sparkling wine

 

Pour 1 tsp. crème de cassis into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne or sparkling wine.

 

Aristocrat Sparkling Punch 

  

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 bottle red burgundy
• 4 ounces brandy
• 2 bottles Brut champagne
• 1 quart sparkling water
• strawberries
• 2 orange(s)

 

In a punch bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar (or less to taste) in the red burgundy.* Add the brandy, stir, and pour in the brut champagne or reasonable equivalent and the sparkling water. Place a block of ice in the bowl, decorating the top if you wish with strawberries, raspberries, or other fruit in season. Cut the oranges into thin wheels and float them in the punch.

 French 75

 

1 cup gin
1/2 cup No-Cook Simple Syrup
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Champagne (Prosecco or other sparkling wine works in a pinch)
lemon twists

Stir 1 cup gin, 1/2 cup No-Cook Simple Syrup , and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice with ice in a medium pitcher for 10 seconds. Strain into Champagne flutes or coupe glasses. Top with chilled Champagne (Prosecco or other sparkling wine works in a pinch). Garnish with lemon twists.