Making the most of sparkling leftovers
You've opened a special bottle of bubbly and now you're faced with what to do if you haven't managed to finish it all. Throwing it away seems like sacrilege but then again, who wants flat bubbly?
If you're fortunate enough to suffer from this problem, regularly, it may be worth investing in a bottle stopper that is designed specifically for sparkling wine. By using this type of device, rather than a traditional cork, your sparkling wine should retain its sparkle, for at least a couple of days.
Cocktails
Another great idea is to create a cocktail that can be enjoyed as part of the celebrations. Here are some recipes to get your taste buds going!
Bucks Fizz
Add 10 parts champagne (or sparkling wine) to 1 part triple sec and 2 parts orange juice. Mix them together and add a dash of grenadine. Serve over ice with a slice of orange.
Diamond Fizz
Add 10 parts champagne (or sparkling wine) to 1 part lemon juice, 2 parts gin and a teaspoon of sugar; mix well and serve on ice. Delicious!
Midori Mimosa
Add 2 parts champagne (or sparkling wine) to 1 part midori and serve over ice with a dash of limejuice.
Fruit Punch
Add as much champagne (or sparkling wine) as you like to plenty of fresh fruit such as strawberries and peaches, to create a refreshing summer drink.
Cooking with Sparkling Wine
As a rule cooking with champagne (or sparkling wine) is not all that successful, because, during the cooking process, it loses both its bubbles and its alcohol content. However, champagne is a great addition to a beurre blanc sauce, due to its high acidity levels. For most sauces you will only need approximately a quarter of a bottle of bubbly, so you can really look slick by serving the remaining champagne, at the table, to complement the dish