Champagne Cocktail

It's just about time to bid farewell to 2012 - this calls for some bubbly! In my opinion, if you aren't sending 2012 off with a Champagne toast, you just aren't doing it right.

I tasted my first Champagne Cocktail at a restaurant called the Public House in Chattanooga.  This cocktail, which Victor Laszlo and Captain Renault both ordered in the 1942 film Casablanca, has an elegant, vintage feel that doesn't distract too much from the true Champagne flavor.  These days, you can find such a wide variety of champagne cocktails, from the French 75 to flavored bellinis, but the Champagne Cocktail is the original.

To make the classic Champagne Cocktail, place 1 brown sugar cube in a champagne flute.  Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and top with champagne (some recipes call for a 1/2 ounce of brandy and a lemon peel garnish, choose your favorite). Enjoy!