Champagne Cup
Champagne cup was the drink of choice at Gilded Age race meetings, garden parties, and summer entertaining. It stretched expensive champagne with soda water and fresh fruit, making it both elegant and practical for a crowd. The cucumber is not a modern addition. It was always there.
Servings 10 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 750 ml bottle 750ml dry champagne or dry sparkling wine
- 1 cup 250ml soda water, chilled
- 2 oz 60ml brandy
- 2 oz 60ml Maraschino liqueur or Cointreau
- Juice of 1 lemon plus 1 lemon thinly sliced into rounds
- 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled and halved
- Fresh mint sprigs
- Borage flowers if available (traditional garnish)
- Ice
Instructions
Build the base
- Combine the brandy, liqueur, lemon juice, lemon rounds, cucumber slices, and strawberries in a large glass jug or punch bowl. Stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours come together.
Finish and serve
- Just before serving, pour in the champagne and soda water. Stir once, gently. Add ice and tuck in the mint sprigs and borage flowers if using.
- Serve immediately in wine glasses or champagne flutes
Notes
- Do not add the champagne and soda water until guests are ready. The cup goes flat quickly.
- Maraschino liqueur is the more period-accurate choice. Cointreau works well and is easier to find.
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute sparkling white grape juice for the champagne and omit the brandy and liqueur. Add a splash of white grape juice concentrate for body.
- The cup can be scaled easily. Double or triple the base ingredients and keep chilled until needed, then add champagne and soda water in batches as glasses are refilled.