As I’ve said in my recent wine pairing article, One of my favorite cocktails is a Vodka Martini. Not to compare myself to the world’s favorite spy, I do enjoy a dry martini… 3 olives – shaken, not stirred ;-) But I also enjoy a nice Champagne wine cocktail, too.
I always get excited when Champagne is the main ingredient of a cocktail because I adore Champagne. I believe Champagne is one of the most underrated wine when it comes to wine consumption. We think of Champagne only as a celebratory drink, for promotions, weddings, new years, only to site a few. And yet, Champagne pairs nicely with foie gras, hors d’oeuvres, oysters, lobsters, desserts. In France, Champagne is often served as apéritif because it’s festive and joyous. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t need to wait until I’m a year older to pop the cork of a little bubbly. So when I hear about a new Champagne wine cocktail, I get excited!
Cocktail Time!
Today, I want to talk about this new wine cocktail I tried called Lemon & Elderflower Champagne Wine Cocktail. The cocktail came beautifully garnished with a lemon zest, a couple blackberries, and… A twig of thyme. That’s right, thyme! I first thought this might have been a mistake, a prank. Perhaps the bartender meant to grab a straw… I mean, thyme? In a drink? Then again, to each their own, people enjoy a basil martini. So thyme in Champagne doesn’t seem too farfetched after all. Lo and behold, the subtle taste of thyme, along with the green and slightly floral profile of the elderflower, transported me to the south of France! Pretty cheap airfare when you think about it ;) It totally works! But for what it’s worth, I tried the basil martini and I didn’t like it. I prefer my basil on a margarita pizza.
So without any further ado, here is how it’s done!
Champagne Wine Cocktail Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz of champagne chilled
- 1 oz pf elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 oz of fresh squeezed lemon juice
- A twig of thyme for garnish and subtile herbal taste (optional)
- Blackberries, and a lemon zest for garnish
DIRECTIONS
- 1. Pour the champagne, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice in a Champagne flute or coupe.
- 2. Garnish with fresh blackberries, lemon zest, and thyme if desired. Enjoy!
Some Champagne Facts
Champagne comes in different forms and it all comes down to sweetness and bubble size. Yes, you heard me… Bubble size. The carbonation in Champagne will vary from one brand to the other. The fewer impurities in the still wine and the cooler the cellar in which this fermentation occurs, the smaller the bubbles. Tiny bubbles are easy to discern as they produce a finer bead than the larger bubbles created by coarse juice, fast fermentation or carbonation. Older Champagnes always show tiny bubbles, mainly because they have aged several years and lost a significant amount of dissolved CO2. A soft carbonation level like the one found in the Laurent Perrier Champagne makes it more enjoyable overall, and puts the focus on the taste of the Champagne itself, without the distraction.
Sweetness In Champagne
The sweetness is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the dosage – a mixture of sugar and wine added to the Champagne before the final bottling. Brut is by far the most popular. The most rasping category is brut nature, which also goes by the name zero dosage and, as the wording suggests, contains no added sugar. And it goes on from there. The following chart might help. The sweetness of a sparkling wine or Champagne ranges from:
- Brut Nature : Totally dry (sugar content : 3 g/l* – no sugar added)
- Extra Brut : Very dry (sugar content : 6 g/l*)
- Brut : Dry (sugar content : 12 g/l*)
- Extra Dry : Medium dry (sugar content : 20 g/l*)
- Sec / Dry : Slightly sweet (sugar content : 35 g/l*)
- Demi-Sec : Fairly sweet (sugar content : 50 g/l*)
- Doux : Sweet (sugar content : 50+ g/l*)
* grams per liter
- Calories 140
- Total Fat 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Carbohydrate 7 g
- Protein 0 g
- Sodium 0 mg
- Fiber 0 g
- Yield: 12 servings – The more the merrier!
Now those are some nutrition facts I can live with!! Champagne is the healthiest wine of all, with moderation of course. You don’t believe me? Check out this other article I wrote about the health benefits of Champagne.
So What Kind Of Champagne Should You Use?
I personally recommend one of the first 3 Champagnes from the above list. The Elderflower syrup is pretty sweet as it is. Too much sugar will make the drink less enjoyable and in turn cause the dreaded “sugar crash.” Oh and don’t spend a fortune; there’s absolutely no reason to splurge on the most expensive bottle. It’s going to be mixed with two other ingredients, and you will not taste the difference.
So there you have it… Try this new refreshing Champagne wine cocktail on your own and let us know how it turns out.
Santé!
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