Top 5 Champagne Cocktails

1. The Champagne Cocktail with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve www.nicolas-feuillatte.com I love the old gold hue and the way the sugar keeps the bubbles dancing in this classic from the mid-1800s. Pour a nip of chilled cognac over an Angostura bitters-soaked sugar cube in a flute and top with Champagne (this one calls for the real deal). 2. Kir Royale with L'Eglise St Martin Brut www.pinnacledrinks.com.au This sparkling variation on the French aperitif of blackcurrant liqueur and white burgundy looks pretty and pleases anyone who likes a little sweetness with their bubbles. Top a nip of crème de cassis with sparkling wine, I like Blanquette de Limoux from south-western France. 3. Mimosa with Cloudy Bay Pelorus There’s nothing like bubbles to www.cloudybay.co.nz get everyone in a party mood. This popular brunch drink is thought to have originated in the While Champagne is the traditional fizz of choice, 1920s at the Hotel Ritz in Paris and been named after yellow sparkling wines from other French wattle flowers (also called mimosa). Pour 1 part well-chilled regions, Italy, Australia and New orange juice into a glass and top with 2 parts sparkling wine, Zealand can also do the job - such as New Zealand’s Pelorus. often at a fraction of the cost - 4. Black Velvet with d'Arenberg Polly especially in these five popular www.darenberg.com.au Champagne cocktails. Created at Brooks Club in London in 1861 when the UK was in mourning for Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert, this cocktail is often made with Guinness. My version uses two South Australian classics: half fill a pilsner glass with Coppers Stout and top with the cheekily named Polly! 5. Hemingway My Way with Fantini Gran Cuvée Bianco www.farnesevini.it The classic Hemingway Champagne cocktail, created by Ernest Hemingway and also called Death in the Afternoon, contains absinthe … but I prefer it with a pastis, like Ricard. Place a nip of pastis in a glass and top with bubbles, such as Fantini from Abruzzo in Italy.