Inexpensive sparklers can be nicely dressed up in cocktail form. Below are some recipes that people have enjoyed for years.
Champagne Cocktail
Put a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute. Put a dash or two of Angostura Bitters on the cube. Pour the sparkling wine slowly to keep foam at minimum. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.
KIR ROYALE
Pour 3/4 ounce of Creme de Cassis in bottom of flute, fill with sparkling wine. (Also, try adding a tablespoon of cranberry juice.)
MIMOSA
In a Champagne flute, fill about 1/4 with orange juice, add 1/2 jigger Triple Sec, fill the rest with sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange wedge.
FRENCH 75
Half-fill a 14-ounce glass with crushed ice. Pour in 11/2 ounces of gin and a tablespoon of lemon juice and stir in a teaspoon of superfine sugar. Fill slowly to the top with sparkling wine.
BELLINI
Fill a Champagne flute 1/3 with peach nectar and finish with sparkling wine.
BUCK’S FIZZ
Combine 1 1/2 ounces of gin, 3/4 ounce of Triple Sec, and 1/4 cup of orange juice with four ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake assertively. Strain the mixture into a champagne flute and fill with sparkling wine.
CHAMPAGNE AND CHAMBORD
In a champagne flute, pour 1 1/2 ounces of Chambord and fill with Champagne.
This article appears in December 17 • 1999.