Hitting the Bottle: How to Make Cheap Champagne Taste Good

KeriF — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

It happens every year. You head to the wine store to buy some bubbly for your honey, and find your self standing in front of the Champagne/sparkling wine with a look of sheer terror on your face. Is the $100 bottle really 10 times better than the $10 bottle? Will my husband/wife/mistress know the difference? How drunk can you even get on one bottle of bubbly?

The answer is not really, probably, and pretty drunk.

But don't buy that pricey bottle just yet…

Though the $100 bottle of Champagne will likely be quite delicious (though perhaps not 10 times as delicious as the economy stuff), you can make due with a cheaper bottle. Heck, you can make do with five low-cost bottles and still save money. Just doctor the cheap stuff to make it taste a whole lot better.

You've heard of Mimosas (Champagne and OJ) and probably Bellinis (peach nectar) and Kir Royales (crème de cassis), but there are in fact hundreds of different cocktails you can make with Champagne. Wine Intro has a list sorted by mixer here.

It would be a shame to use a very fine bottle of Champagne in any of these drinks, but the cheap stuff lends itself perfectly to mixing. And when the bubbly goes on steep discount February 15, you can stock up by the case and have cocktails the whole year round.

Photo: Eating Well

Mother's Day: Breakfast in Bed with a "Momosa"

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sat, 12 May 2007 23:01:00 GMT

Mother's Day wouldn't be Mother's Day without some sort of fabulous breakfast in bed. But when the kids are small (babies, even) and at best all they can muster is smeary pancakes with peanut butter and jelly, what's a thoughtful partner to do? First things first, friend. Your darling girl needs a "Momosa," a classy relax-me-down drink she can enjoy before Noon! In bed!

Any good Momosa starts with excellent champagne. Assuming you don't want to spring for Dom or Cristal, there are some fabulous alternatives that won't require a 2nd mortgage, including Moet and Chandon, Tattinger (who can resist that label?), or Veuve Clicquot.

Next, get some fresh squeezed orange juice. You can't go wrong with Odwalla, but juice you squeezed yourself will grant pennies (dimes even) in mama's heaven.

Pour 2 parts juice into a champagne flute or wine glass, and follow with one part champagne. Stir.

Presentation is crucial. Skewer a cherry (it's sexy and colorful) with a pretty swizzle stick, pour the final mixture into a chilled champagne flute or wine glass, and put a rose in a vase. At this juncture, no matter what else you put onto her tray, she'll be delighted.

Strollerderby : champagne

Hitting the Bottle: How to Make Cheap Champagne Taste Good

Mother's Day: Breakfast in Bed with a "Momosa"