After the original βcocktailβ (alcohol, sugar, water, bitters), there was the Champagne Cocktail, which cocktail historian David Wondrich refers to as the βfirst evolved cocktail.β Created sometime in the early to mid 1800s, the cocktail was particularly popular along the West Coast and with entertainers (eventually earning the nickname βchorus girlβs milkβ). But, as popular and ubiquitous as the Champagne Cocktail was and is, it still had some detractors. David A. Emburyβauthor of The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948)βonce said the Champagne Cocktail βis a decidedly inferior drink, and no true Champagne lover would ever commit the sacrilege of polluting a real vintage Champagne by dunking even plain sugar, much less bitters in it." We respectfully disagree with Mr. Emburyβs overall condemnation of the cocktail, but we do concur with his opinion that a good vintage Champagne should never be used (opt for something non-vintage instead or a dry domestic sparkling wine).
The Essentials
Ingredients
Method
- Add the sugar cube to the bottom of a Champagne flute.
- Dash Angostura bitters on top of the sugar cube.
- Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
Mix it Up
Donβt feel limited by the cocktailβs name; you can substitute a domestic dry sparkling wine, Cava or Prosecco for the typically pricier Champagne. And while the original recipe calls for Angostura bitters, the cocktail also works well with orange or lavender bitters. If youβre looking for more ways to change up this dead simple, classic recipe we have a few thoughts on that too, from alternative citruses to under-utilized sweeteners.
After being named bar manager of the Old Seelbach Bar in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1995, Adam Seger supposedly made a discovery: a long-lost recipe for the Seelbach Cocktail, an appealing blend of bourbon, orange liqueur, bitters and sparkling wine that dated back to the barβs pre-Prohibition days. His story of finding the recipe quickly spre...