Sparkling Wine Cocktails | Libations - Palmetto Bella Magazine

Zach McCabe

December 4, 2020

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so maybe you thought 2020 rocked. Yeah. Maybe you’re into pandemics, polarizing elections, systematic racism, murder hornets, wild fires, impeachment, and the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. No? Didn’t think so.

It’s safe to assume that I’m not alone in looking forward to ringing in 2021, and what better way to do that than with a little bubbly? Sometimes you just gotta pop some bottles. I’m definitely into some champagne (or cava, prosecco, or whatever — I don’t discriminate) but, really, I’m into some sparkling wine cocktails. French 75s are delicious, but in the midst of celebrating, we can’t be bothered by juicing a lemon or shaking a cocktail. My go-to sparkling wine celebration cocktail is the perfect and simple Champagne cocktail.

A couple of months ago we dove into the Old Fashioned, and I showed y’all how to play around with the spec to create a completely new drink. I even gave you my recipe for the (unfortunately named) Apple Bondage. Sugar, water, spirit, and bitters make an Old Fashioned. Well, if you swap out the booze for some slightly carbonated, less boozy booze, you get the Champagne cocktail. You’re welcome. Next time you have a bottle of bubbly, make yourself one of these bad boys. It’s literally three ingredients, and you don’t even need a mixing glass.

Champagne Cocktail

1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
sparkling wine

Dash bitters onto a sugar cube until it is completely saturated. Drop the soaked sugar cube into a champagne flute. Top with champagne if you are celebrating 2021 or something else fun. Or else just top with some prosecco if it’s just a regular Tuesday.

Twists

A citrus twist may seem like something of a “no, never mind” when it comes to making a drink, but it can actually completely change a drink. And, it’s something I’ve seen people (professionals and amateurs) screw up. I’ve seen everything from cutting and discarding the meat off of a crescent to just pulling a proper twist and dropping it into the drink without letting it actually work its magic.

The twist is a functional garnish. It has a function beyond adding a poorly sliced blob of color floating in your Manhattan. A properly executed twist adds to the aromatics of your drink. You take a peeler or sharp knife and cut a thin slice off of the peel of a piece of citrus (stay away from limes though — more on that in the future). Hold the peel horizontally between your two index fingers and thumbs with the pith (white part) facing you and the colored part pointing towards the top of the drink. Then squeeze the peel like you are folding it in half longways. If you do it right, a burst of citrus oil sprays over the top of the drink. The oil floats on top of the drink, which is exactly where your nose will be when you take your first sip.

Zach McCabe

Zach is a mixologist who first discovered the joy of making cocktails as a means of being hospitable when hosting new friends. Years later, he is now putting his knowledge and skills to use creating menus for local cocktail bars, teaching cocktail classes, curating spirits tasting flights, and bartending happy hours, special events, and parties. Zach is also a co-founder of Augusta Neat, Augusta’s very own whisk(e)y enthusiast club that meets monthly to taste and learn about what the world of whisk(e)y has to offer. Zach has years of mixology experience and holds a Level 2 certificate in spirits from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Follow him on Instagram @all.equal.parts to see his latest creations, collaborations and upcoming events.

Zach McCabe

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