5 Champagne Cocktails for Melbourne Cup at Home
It’s been a long year! But finally the Melbourne Cup has arrived. While we can’t spend a day at the races like we normally would, at least we can enjoy some champagne as we watch the race at home. To spice up your champagne, here’s 5 delicious champagne cocktails to drink on Melbourne Cup Day 2020! Grab your ingredients and make these bubbly cocktails at home (fascinator on the top, pyjamas on the bottom?)
Credits: bbcgoodfood.com
French 75
Credits: liquor.com
The Fench 75B champagne cocktail was invented during the first world war by an American airman fighting alongside the French. He doused the local champagne with a splash of Cognac! The resulting drink was as strong as a shell from a French 75mm field gun and got that name. Nowadays, it’s generally mixed with gin for a lighter and fresher rendition.
Ingredients
- Gin – 45ml
- Fresh lemon juice – 25ml
- Sugar syrup – 20ml
- Sparkling wine to top
- Preserved cherry and lemon peel to garnish
Method
- Mix gin, lemon and sugar syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake hard for minimum 10 seconds.
- Pour the cocktail into a glass, full of fresh ice and top it with sparkling wine.
- Use preserved cherry and a twist of lemon peel to garnish the champagne cocktail.
Long Odds
This drink is a tempting Negroni variety topped with bubbles. The cocktail consists of elderflower liqueur for sweetness, white port and Campari for an exhilarating bittersweet buzz. You can also enjoy another version of this in Melbourne that has Irish whiskey.
Credits: goodfood.com
Ingredients
- Campari – 200ml
- St Germain Elderflower liqueur – 200ml
- White port – 200ml
- Dry sparkling wine
- Orange peel
Method
- Mix Campari, St Germain and white port to a ice filled highball glass.
- Add some more fresh ice and top with sparkling wine. Mix and garnish the drink with an orange peel.
Inca Mist
This champagne cocktail carries flavours of Peru, with the Peruvian brandy pisco and passionfruit. The bitterness of grapes neutralises the sweeter ingredients and makes this an easy and pleasant drink to serve for many.
Credits: thepiscopeople.com
Ingredients
- Pisco – 30ml
- Passionfruit syrup – 10ml
- Grapefruit bitters – six drops
- Dry sparkling wine
- Lime peel and edible flowers
Method
- Mix pisco, passionfruit syrup and grape bitters to an ice-filled champagne glass.
- Top the cocktail with sparkling wine, mix it well and garnish the drink with a twist of lime peel and edible flower.
Old Cuban
The Old Cuban champagne cocktail is a combination of the classic champagne cocktail and the mojito. The drink is first made by Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club. This fresh tipple is ideal for rum lovers.
Credits: punchdrink.com
Ingredients
- Aged Cuban rum – 45ml
- Fresh lime juice – 20ml
- Sugar syrup – 20ml
- Angostura bitters – 2
- Mint leaves – 6
- Sparkling wine – 30ml
- Mint sprig
Method
- Except sparkling to a cocktail, mix all other ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake for a minimum of 10 seconds, then pour the drink into a cocktail glass full of ice.
- Top the drink with sparkling wine and garnish it with a mint sprig.
Barbotage
The barbotage is a Champagne cocktail having an orange flavour. The orange colour is from the liqueur, but not from orange juice. It has a nice splash of cognac which is added to get some extra buzz.
Credits: youtube.com
Ingredients
- Cognac – 30 mL
- Grand Marnier – 1 tsp
- Brut champagne – to fill
Method
Add cognac and Grand Marnier into a champagne glass. Top up the drink with brut champagne.
So there you have it! In between watching the races and relaxing at home, why not mix up a champagne cocktail. Champagne cocktails have a great and proud history, from the battlegrounds of World War I to the dance lounges of prohibition-era Cuba. With some bubbles and a festive cheer, they are an excellent way to enjoy the Melbourne Cup with a bit of class. Enjoy some great champagne cocktails to kick off your Melbourne Cup Day 2020.