Champagne Cobbler

There are those who believe champagne should be left unadulterated—the bubbly wine from the northeast of France is often considered the best wine in the world, or at least the most celebratory, after all. But it’s also the most popular wine to use as the base of mixed drinks, so much so that it has its own signature drinks, like the Champagne Cocktail and Mimosa. The Champagne Cobbler, from Ashford Castle in Ireland, is similar in its simplicity to these two, including only champagne and a few flavoring elements. It combines fresh orange juice like a Mimosa but adds pineapple juice, and includes a sweetener like in a Champagne Cocktail, but uses maraschino liqueur rather than simple syrup.

With any champagne-based drink, you’re going to want to pick a bottle that’s not too expensive. Champagne is almost always of good quality, so even going for something on the “cheaper” end of the spectrum will yield a wine that will work in the Champagne Cobbler. And unless you’re making a large batch of these, you’ll want to pick something you enjoy drinking on its own, so you can finish off the remainder of the wine before it goes flat.

When adding the fruit juices, it’s always preferable to use something freshly squeezed rather than out of a carton. It’s especially true when you’re going to be mixing it into champagne, so with the Champagne Cobbler be sure to use fresh orange juice and, if possible, freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Fresh squeezed pineapple juice tends to be less sweet and more floral than the canned versions, which is important as the drink also calls for a measure of maraschino liqueur for sweetness. Luxardo is far and away the most popular brand of maraschino liqueur, but others like Maraska and Leopold Bros make excellent versions, too.

Like most champagne drinks, the appeal of the Champagne Cobbler is that it can be enjoyed at anytime of day, whether it replaces your normal Mimosa at brunch, stands in for an Aperol Spritz at happy hour or caps off a dinner party as a companion to dessert.

The Elegant Simplicity of the Champagne Cocktail

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