This cocktail is an Employees Only variation on the Champagne Cocktail (page 56). In champagne production, when the pinot noir skins are left to touch the juice, they add color and a soft touch of tannins. The result is some of the best aperitif wine available: rosé champagne. Other sparkling wine producers emulate this with rosé varietals, most notably the Spanish with Cava. These wines are truly magnificent, and their affordability makes them very suitable for mixed drinks. Cava rosé has a body and level of dryness ideal for adding sugar, bitters, and Campari to create a sultry variation on the classic Champagne Cocktail. This cocktail is very sexy and inviting and makes a superb aperitif, as well as a great choice for pairing with antipasti, mezes, tapas, or seafood appetizers.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 drink

　　5 ounces Llopart Cava Leopardi brut rosé, divided

　　1 raw brown sugar cube

　　4 or 5 dashes Angostura bitters

　　3/4 ounce Campari

　　1 lemon twist

　　

Step 1

Pour 1 1/2 ounces of the sparkling wine into a champagne flute. Place the sugar cube on a bar spoon and saturate it with the bitters. Carefully place the sugar cube in the flute. Let rest for a moment. Pour in the rest of the sparkling wine. Add the Campari. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, then discard.

　　

tasting notes

Step 2

Dominant Flavors: floral and rose petals

　　

Step 3

Body: light, effervescent

　　

Step 4

Dryness: dry, crisp

　　

Step 5

Complexity: low

　　

Step 6

Accentuating or Contrasting Flavors: bitterness from the Campari

　　

Step 7

Finish: long, bitter

　　

Step 8

Glass: champagne flute

　　Reprinted with permission from Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric, © 2010 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.