Champagne Supernova

...

IT’S simple home science. Drop a football-sized rock of sugar in a barrel of white wine and seal. Six months later, you have sparkling wine (SW). It may not be of Champagne lineage, but it sparkles nonetheless.

And where there is wine and champagne, cocktails will never be too far behind. ‘‘India now makes premium SW and the obvious next step is for bartenders to innovate drinks with a SW base,’’ says bar consultant Eric Lobo. Inventive barmen have clearly been around since the time of the ancient Greeks. How else would they have discovered Mimosa. After all these years, the simple combo of aerated white wine and orange juice is still the perfect breakfast drink.

If you are like me and can’t afford a cocktail made from a bottle of Krug, or Grand Cuvée (non-vintage)—priced at a cool

Story continues below this ad

Rs 13,000—then you’re better off sticking to the fruity, fizzy cocktails that use sparkling wine as a mixer.

	TOAST WORTHY
– Sula Brut, Rs 550 – Marquise de Pompadour, Rs 600 – Ivy Brut, Rs 565 – Joie, Rs 300

When champagne cocktails were the hippest thing in California bars, Mumbai’s Indigo was the first to import the trend in 1999. ‘‘SW cocktails are an integral part of our Sunday brunch,’’ says manager Gregory D’Souza. Their menu features over eight spritzers that most of Mumbai’s Page 3 ladies swear by.

SW cocktail sales escalate during the party season. Sula Vineyards’ managing director Rajeev Samant also indicates the rise in SW consumption and sales, ‘‘When we started out in 2000, we sold almost 1,000 cases. Last year, we sold over 8,000 cases,’’ he says.

Story continues below this ad

Like everything else, making these drinks is regarded as an art form, with its own set of rules. There’s no point using an ingredient that finishes as a cloudy end-product. The characteristics of a good mix include clarity, flavouring and add-ons like liqueurs, without which any bubbly is likely to fall flat.

Salt Water Grill’s SWG Bellini
INGREDIENTS
Peach Schnapps, 15 ml; sparkling wine, 120 ml; cranberry juice, 30 ml; strawberry for garnish
METHOD
Pour the schnapps and add the sparkling wine. Add a dash of cranberry juice. Garnish with a strawberry sliver
Indigo’s Arise My Love
INGREDIENTS
Crème de menthe, 20 ml; sparkling wine
METHOD
Pour the liqueur in a flute glass and top with sparkling wine
Olive’s Kir Royale
INGREDIENTS
Crème de cassis, 15 ml; sparkling wine
METHOD
Pour the liqueur in a champagne glass and top with sparkling wine. Since the blackcurrant liqueur makes the drink dark, this cocktail shouldn’t have a garnish
Eric Lobo’s Sgroppino
INGREDIENTS
Frozen lemon wedges; Cointreau, 30 ml; strawberry pulp, 15 ml; sparkling wine
METHOD
Fill a champagne glass with the lemon wedges, pour the liqueur and top with sparkling wine. Add fresh strawberry pulp and stir