Make Mine a Champagne Cocktail

When I think of the holidays, I'm most excited for spending time with loved ones, tasty food and superb cocktails! I love a good cocktail--not too sweet, not too sour, dark or light is fine with me. I have so many go-to cocktails at different bars/restaurants or simply created by yours truly when entertaining friends. I love everything from French 75s to Whiskey Sours to Tom Collins to Manhattans. But, I have to say there is NOTHING like the good ol' bubbly! Anything that sparkles is golden to me--champagne, brut, prosecco, and so on. And what better cocktail to serve to guests than a champagne cocktail?

Before prepping the cocktail, you have to choose the perfect (most festive) outfit! My go to look when I'm hosting a dinner party for friends is a house dress. Comfort and style comes hand in hand. This 1960s vintage house dress screams "hostess" to me. The funky pink and cream print is fun and playful, but it is the ruffling at the neckline and cuffs that really sold me on this dress! I bought this house dress from a fabulous vintage shop in Cleveland, Ohio that unfortunately closed down. But, Ebay and Etsy are also really good sources for finding these sorts of dresses. You can search "Vintage Hostess Pajamas" and come across really beautiful (mostly 1960s/70s) 2-piece sets that are very reminiscent of Mame (played by Rosalind Russell) in Auntie Mame (1955). For shoes, I just threw on my pink marabou sliders that I bought from Forever 21.

Now that you've found the perfect hostess look, it's time to create a champagne cocktail (or 4)!

Ingredients Needed:
- Champagne, Brut, Prosecco, or Sparkling Wine will do! As long as it's bubbly.
- Aromatic Bitters
- Sugar Cubes

My go to choice is a Sparking Wine preferably, Spumante which is on the sweeter side. André is a cheap sparkling wine brand (around $6/bottle) and tastes splendid for so cheap.

First step is obviously getting that bottle popped! Opening a bottle of champers is always a scary, but thrilling process. Will someone get hit in the eye by the cork? Will a champagne shower spray out of the bottle? But the fun's just begun!

Fill up your glasses with the bubbly! This step can wait until the end if preferred. I switch between the two depending on how I feel that day. So far as glasses, I'm more of a champagne coupe kind of a gal than a flute! A good old fashioned coupe just has that Old Hollywood appeal to it and it's also more practical to drink from than a thin flute!

Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren can vouch for my love of champagne coupes! You can find them for super cheap at thrift shops such as, Housing Works in NYC or The Salvage Yard Resale Shoppe in Cleveland, Ohio.

Next drop a few drops of aromatic bitters onto a sugar cube. This is where all of the great flavor will come from!

Now pop that cube into your coupe! And if you've saved the wine pouring for the very end, pour your sparkling wine on top of the bitter soaked cube.

Now time to enjoy! Champagne cocktails are SUPER easy to make, but will also pact a punch! And just be warned, they taste wonderfully but can really sneak up on you. When I sip a good champagne cocktail, I can't help but think of old films such as, The Thin Man (1934) or an Affair to Remember (1957). Champagne cocktails appeared as early as 1862 in Bon Vivant's Companion! Cognac can be added to a champagne cocktail as well. This drink is classic, effervescent, and quick to make for guests of 2+! Well, cheers darlings and I will see you next Friday!

All photographs were taken by Henrietta Audu (with the exception of the images of Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren).