Cooking Lesson #1138: The Classic Champagne Cocktail

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? To give you an excellent New Year's cocktail we're breaking with Happy Hour Friday tradition and releasing this one early. 

The Champagne Cocktail is a classic and elegant way to enjoy this effervescent drink to start the New Year. It combines Champagne and other ingredients such as liqueurs, syrups, and fruits.
 
While Champagne has been enjoyed for a long, long time (dating back to the 17th century), cocktails, on the other hand, have a more recent history. The first recorded use of the word "cocktail" was in 1806, in a Hudson, New York newspaper. During the 1800s, the cocktail began to gain popularity with the invention of new, innovative drinks and the rise of the culture surrounding them.
 
Champagne cocktails, such as the French 75 and the original Classic Champagne Cocktail, have been popular since the 1800s and are especially well-liked for celebrations and special occasions. Over the years, both Champagne and cocktails have evolved and adapted to changing tastes and trends. Today, there are many different styles and variations, allowing for endless experimentation and creativity in mixing and pairing them. That’s the best part of my job.
 
My Classic Champagne Cocktail is a tried and tested recipe to have in any serious mixologist's arsenal. Many of them use readily available ingredients with delicious twists to celebrate any occasion.
 
This Classic Champagne Cocktail is a simple but elegant cocktail made by adding a sugar cube, Angostura bitters, and cognac or brandy to a Champagne flute and then filling it with Champagne. It's a perfect way to add a little bit of sweetness and complexity to the taste of the Champagne and start your New Year’s celebration off with a POP—of the champagne cork. Cheers to 2026!
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 sugar cube
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1/2 ounce cognac or brandy
Champagne
3 raspberries or a lemon wheel for garnish
 
Directions

1. Put a sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne flute.
2. Add the Angostura bitters to the glass, on top of the sugar cube.
3. Add the cognac or brandy.
4. Slowly pour in chilled Champagne, careful not to disturb the sugar cube.
5. Garnish with a twist of lemon or berries of your choice.

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ChefSecret:  You can use most any sparkling white or rose wine at most any price point.
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Quip of the Day:  At a winery, the regular taster died and the director started looking for a new one to hire.
A drunkard with a ragged, dirty look came in to apply for the position. The director of the winery wondered how to send him away. He gave him a glass to drink.
The drunk tried it and said, “It's a Muscat, three years old, grown on a north slope, matured in steel containers. Low grade, but acceptable.”
"That's correct", said the boss. Another glass...
“This is a Cabernet, eight years old, a south-western slope, oak barrels, matured at 8 degrees. Requires three more years for finest results.”
"Correct." A third glass... "It's a Pinot Blanc Champagne, high grade and exclusive,'' the drunk said calmly.
The director was astonished. He winked at his secretary, secretly suggesting something. She left the room and came back in with a glass of urine.
The alcoholic tried it. "It's a blonde, 26 years old, three months pregnant and if I don't get the job I'll name the father."
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

​#Cocktail #HappyHour2026 #HappyHourFriday #ChampagneCocktail #Cheers2026 #HolidayHappyHour #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Recipes2026 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

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