Champagne and New Year’s Eve… there are few things more synonymous with one another. It will come as no surprise to you that I find champagne to be appropriate for any and all occasions. There is something about a bottle of bubbles overflowing into a fluted glass, the effervescence shooting precariously to the rim, and then dissipating and settling into a happy simmer.
Whether it be champagne (from Champagne, France – the only true champagne), cava (Spain’s take), prosecco (Italy’s answer) or sparking wine (just about everything else), an instant sense of celebration/tribute/romance fills the air. While a glass of bubbly will stand tall and proud all on it’s own, it can also serve as the base and heart of a fantastically delicious and artful cocktail. The addition of a cube of sugar, a dash of grapefruit bitters and a splash of campari presents a glass of antique pink beauty, a fervent party taking place at the base as the bitter soaked sugar cube dissolves into the bubbly, campari infused wine. Variations of the champagne cocktail abound and it is an automatic order for me whenever it makes a cocktail menu appearance.
This version is one of my favorites, the touch of sweetness from the sugar tempered by the bitters. It is what I will be toasting the end of 2012 with and what I will be drinking as we welcome the beginning of 2013. I am thrilled to see what the new year has to offer and can’t wait to share some of the new and exciting things I have in mind for this little project called foodie-girl. So cheers to you, my foodie-friends… thanks for making 2012 so very, very fantastic and here’s to an even more fabulous 2013!
Place on sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne glass. Add two to three dashes of bitters onto the cube. I recommend grapefruit bitters but any bitter you have on your bar will work well.
Fill the glass with champagne and watch the sugar cube explode with bubbles!
Add a splash of campari to the top, adding color and depth of flavor. Share with friends and family to toast the new year or to simply turn any occasion into a special one!
Cheers and happy new year!
Lindsey McClave has a deep love for food, wine and travel. While she has no intentions of becoming a chef or a sommelier and doesn’t consider herself an expert in any culinary area, she is obsessed with learning.
She says, “the one thing I’ve taken away from my wine travels is that wine is meant for everyone – rich, poor, and everywhere in-between.” Whatever cooking becomes to you, she encourages you to find that foodie place, embrace it and run with it.
