Jazz up inexpensive champagnes with flavored liquors and fruit juices. Image Credit: John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Champagne's bubbly character and delicate flavor pair well with many liquors to make festive champagne cocktails. Feature the effervescent refreshment in fizzy and fruity rum punches or sophisticated gin drinks, suitable for toasting at any occasion. To concoct the perfect champagne cocktail, add other ingredients first to a champagne flute, then slowly pour in the champagne to avoid overflowing the glass. Whether you're celebrating a piece of good news or ringing in the New Year, raise a glass and toast with a lovely champagne cocktail.
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Versatile Vodka
Vodka's smooth and neutral flavor makes it a versatile addition to many cocktails, including those with a champagne base. Make a simple champagne martini using 1 to 2 parts of vodka, then fill the glass with champagne to taste. Add fruit-flavored or infused vodkas or fruit juices such as peach, blueberry, strawberry or citrus to create a refreshing, fruity champagne cocktail.
Bold Gin
Gins are distilled with juniper berries, which imparts a distinct pine or rosemary flavor. The bold herbal flavors of gin pair well with the delicate flavors of champagne. Give the popular Prohibition-era cocktail — the French 75 — a try. Add 1 part gin, a 1/2 part simple syrup and a 1/2 part lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain it into a champagne flute and top with champagne. Customize this classic cocktail by replacing the lemon juice with blood orange juice, or add a touch of pear brandy for a fruity yet potent bite.
Sweet Rum
Rums are distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and come in a variety of styles, from light-bodied to dark. Each kind possesses flavors that pair well with champagne. Replace the club soda with champagne in a classic light rum mojito for an ultra fizzy libation. Medium-bodied and dark rums are aged and possess rich and sweet full bodied flavors of caramel and molasses. Create fun and fruity rum punches using darker rums and champagne for an effervescent twist.
Cognac
If you enjoy the orange-flavored liqueurs, mix them with bubbly to elevate them to toasting status. The liqueurs, typically enjoyed as a digestif after a meal, possess flavors ideal for creating champagne cocktails. Mix 1 part of orange liqueur with a 1/2 part of cognac or brandy, and a few dashes of bitters, then top with champagne. Add a splash of lemon and grapefruit juice for a citrus finish.
