Champagne Cup

This is an easy champagne drink to make if you have cognac and curacao around. It is light and refined, like a cafe cocktail enjoyed in Paris. I kept thinking about the drinks you find in Paris along the Champ Élysées now. You'll find fortified wine or champagne with mint and fruit in them. This is light drinking, Paris style.

• 1/2 oz. cognac (Remy Martin 1738 cognac used)
• 1/2 oz. dry curacao
• orange slice
• mint sprig 
• champagne

 Build drink in a wine glass with cognac and curacao and a single ice cube. Stir until the cube dissolves. Top with champagne and garnish with the orange slice and mint sprig.

Champagne Cooler

D'USSÉ Cognac and triple sec are the main ingredients of this champagne cocktail. It is boozy and decadent to say the least. I found that the proportions of hard liquor were such that they needed to be chilled. Don't follow the NY Bartender's Guide on this or you will have a warm drink. Shake the spirits and strain into the wine glass. Top with champagne and work really hard to get that mint leaf to stay upright with no ice in the glass.

• 1 1/2 oz. cognac (D'Ussé VSOP used)
• 1 oz. triple sec
• champagne or sparkling wine (Gruet used)
• mint leaf

Shake cognac and triple sec on ice to chill. Strain into a wine glass. Top with cold champagne and garnish with a mint leaf.

King's Peg

Champagne and cognac are perfect together, both being made with French grapes. The King's Peg is supposed to knock you over quickly with that combo of bubbles and brandy.

• 1 1/2 oz. Cognac (Dusse used)
• Champagne (Gruet used)

Build drink in a champagne flute with cognac and top with champagne. 

American Rose

Nothing says American like brandy and peaches. American brandy, that is. And Gruet is an American sparkling wine inspired by French champagne, so it is perfect for the fizz in this cocktial.

America is of course the inventor of the cocktail, and combining French liqueurs and wines into strong spirits like brandy. The trick with this drink is to peel your peach half and dice it before muddling it in the shaker. A wide straw helps to suck up the pulp.

• 1 1/2  oz. brandy
• 1 tsp. grenadine 
• 1/2 fresh peach peeled and mashed
• 1/2 tsp. Pernod
• Champagne or sparkling wine (Gruet used)
• peach wedge

Combine all ingredients except peach wedge and champagne in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a wine glass and top with champagne. Garnish with the peach wedge.