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Punching Up Champagne
Bubbling with enthusiasm

Q: I am planning a big celebration and would like to serve Champagne, except I would like it to be extra-special without spending big bucks. Can I mix the Champagne with other ingredients to liven things up? How do I select the right bottle? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-- D. Burnham, Birmingham, Alabama

A: Champagne is a must-have at all celebrations. From the characteristic pop of the cork to its nose-tickling fizz, it acts as an exclamation point reinforcing the importance of any event. But the best part about this bubbly beverage is how versatile it can be. Not only can it be enjoyed by itself, but it can add vibrancy to your punchbowl, too.

It is important that you select the right Champagne for the moment, not based on price, but style. And make sure you have enough bubbly on hand.

Now you won't find recipes for Champagne cocktails at the French region's official Web site, but you can here at cocktail.com. The following information should help whenever you're serving bubbly.

Quantity
How much sparkling wine will you need? A standard 750 ml bottle of Champagne will provide six very generous glasses. If using exclusively for a toast or dessert, plan one glass per person. As an aperitif or cocktail, you may need two portions per guest. For an entire evening, one-half bottle per person will do. When combining in a punch, you only need one bottle for 20-30 servings.

Chill
Don't keep Champagne too long. Champagne is meant to be laid on its side for aging at home and should be consumed within three years. It can also be stored upright because of the natural pressure in the bottle keeping the cork moist. Champagne that has been refrigerated does not need to remain so. As long as the bottle is stored on its side, it can be placed back in the wine rack until ready to be chilled again.

It takes about one hour to chill a bottle of bubbly in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the younger and livelier the Champagne, the cooler it should be served (8ºC). A mature or vintage Champagne will be perfect at 10ºC. Over-chilling may mean that the wine is too cold to release its aromas and flavors.

For a large party it is best to chill the Champagne in a wine bucket or other large vessel rather than the refrigerator as this saves space and will chill the beverage faster. Half-fill the container with ice, packing it around the bottles, then add water. Allow bottles to soak for thirty minutes. Always be careful to wipe each bottle dry to prevent slippage when serving.

Pop
The popping of a cork may sound festive and exciting, but it wastes Champagne. If you must, choose just one bottle and make sure you have an audience.

Otherwise avoid shaking the bottle. Remove the foil and wire muzzle, keeping your thumb on the cork to prevent it from shooting out of the bottle. You can also wrap a towel around the neck of the bottle, covering the cork. Tilt the bottle at a 45-degree angle while holding the cork firmly with one hand and the base of the bottle with the other. Be sure to point the bottle away from you and your guests.

Do not twist the cork. Rather, twist the bottle slowly while letting the cork glide out gently, emitting a gentle hiss. Never use a corkscrew. A Champagne cork is highly compressed. If a corkscrew is inserted at an angle, you may have an exploding bottle in your hand.

Bubbles show the age of the wine. Over the years the bubbles will gradually become smaller and smaller, before finally dying out. A connoisseur will not be worried by the absence of bubbles in a very mature wine, something that might shock the uninitiated into believing that their wine is flat upon opening.

Pick
Champagne taste varies according to the particular grapes used, added sweeteners and the process employed in production. The amount of sugar used in the formula determines the degree of sweetness in the finished sparkling wine. Sweetness should be an important consideration in your selection of mixing ingredients.

Brut - The driest of them all with no perceptible sweetness.
Extra dry - Slightly sweet.
Sec, demi sec and doux - Very sweet.
Blanc de blancs - A blend made from only white chardonnay grapes.
Pink - Rose Champagne can be flowery and delicate, or full-bodied and robust and is available in nonvintage, vintage and prestige cuvee. It derives its rosy color from the pigmentation in the skin of the black grapes used to make it. Pink Champagne is the most difficult sparkling wine to produce which explains why it is more expensive than golden Champagne.

Mix
The tips for mixing Champagne are very similar to those when adding with any carbonated beverage. Pre-chill all ingredients before combining. Blend other ingredients together first. Never shake carbonated beverages, stir gently to maintain fizz. Champagne is always added last, just as the beverage is ready to be served.

When combined in a pitcher or punchbowl, it should not be allowed to sit for more than one hour. If you must, keep it chilled with an ice cake, not ice cubes. Otherwise, set punch bowl in ice.

Substitution
To keep costs lower, sparkling wine can be substituted for Champagne. For non-alcoholic or less potent punches carbonated beverages may stand-in. Unsweetened fizzy ingredients like seltzer, club soda or sparkling water are ideal alternates for Brut Champagne. Ginger ale, sparkling cider or grape juice are better replacements for sweeter Champagnes.

Cheers!
Miss Cocktail