Champagne Cocktail

Few cocktails pack as much theatre into two minutes of prep as the Champagne Cocktail. A sugar cube sits in the bottom of the glass, soaks up Angostura bitters until it turns a deep red-brown, then slowly dissolves under a stream of Champagne, throwing off a steady column of bubbles as it goes. The drink dates back at least to the mid-1800s and turns up everywhere from Fitzgerald’s fiction to the final scene of Casablanca, which says something about how well it has aged.

The sugar cube matters

Use a proper cube, not granulated sugar, since it needs to sit whole at the bottom of the glass and dissolve slowly rather than sweetening the drink all at once. Soak it thoroughly with bitters before adding anything else; an under-soaked cube leaves pale patches and an uneven flavour as it breaks down. Brown sugar cubes hold together a little better than white and add a faint molasses note that suits the Cognac.

Pouring without losing the fizz

Add the Cognac before the Champagne so the two have a moment to meet the sugar together, then pour the Champagne slowly down the side of a tilted glass. Poured straight down the middle, the bubbles rushing past the cube will strip most of the effervescence out in the first few seconds. Serve immediately. This is not a drink that improves with time in the glass.

Variations

• Swap the Cognac for a good bourbon for a warmer, less classically French version.
• A drop of orange bitters alongside the Angostura adds a citrus lift that suits it after a rich dinner.
• For New Year’s Eve, garnish with a small edible flower or a curl of gold-dusted orange peel for extra polish.