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| America's Test Kitchen |
My beverage of choice would without question be Champagne. And with the holidays here and New Year's Eve around the corner, what better time to enjoy a lovely bottle? In this post, I will share some of my favorite Champagne tips.
First, opening a bottle of Champagne can be challenging - after removing the wire cage, you need to twist, turn, wiggle, and cajole the cork out without blinding yourself. I use a Champagne opener - this is my favorite.
I love classic French Brut Champagnes. My favorite Champagne is Taittinger Brut, but I also love Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label and Moet Chandon Brut. All are classics and none of these will break the bank - around $50.
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| Taittinger Brut |
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| Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label |
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| Moet Chandon Brut Imperial |
For a great Champagne around $20 that I use for Champagne cocktails and such, I love Mumm Napa.
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| Mumm Napa |
Speaking of which, I absolutely adore a Champagne cocktail - an easy and truly great cocktail that dates back to the 1850s. Soak a sugar cube with 3 to 5 dashes of Angostura Bitters and drop into the bottom of a Champagne flute. Fill the glass with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist. The sugar makes the Champagne bubbles go on and on - keep them going by topping off with more Champagne as you drink.
Do you remember when there was a world wide shortage of Angostura Bitters back in 2009 when the sole manufacturer in Trinidad shutdown? I am a Manhattan drinker and remember it well.
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| Angostura Aromatic Bitters |
If you are in the market for new Champagne glasses, I really like these Schott Zwiesel Crystal Flutes - they are elegant, durable, well-priced, and dishwasher safe. They are very resistant to chipping and breaking.
And here are some great options in Champagne chillers - and they are Chinoiserie Chic.
I have this one and love it!
One of my errands at UTC mall on Wednesday was to pick up half a dozen of these gorgeous coral ornaments - late additions to my tree!
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| CCC |
Sante, Beth! I am a champagne freak, and for the longest time my go-to champagne was Veuve Clicquot brut yellow label, the one you've shown in your post, but then it got to be around $70.00. Then the sommelier at my local gourmet grocery store told me about Coutier champagne. I loved it and have been buying it ever since. I haven't had a champagne cocktail in ages so I'll have to treat myself. Love the silver and wicker ice bucket.
ReplyDeleteMy Total Wine sells the Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label for under $48.00. You should check there - they have lots of stores in the Bay Area.
DeleteThanks so much! I will definitely check them out.
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