Champagne Cocktail

For those of you who enjoy hosting guests, this cocktail might just be your new favorite. Champagne Cocktails are classy, simple, and definite crowd-pleasers. Perfect for a DIY cocktail station if you're throwing a party. Interestingly enough, in the first edition Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks, published in 1862, the instructions call for all ingredients to be shaken, including the champagne. A later edition of the same book rectified the mistake and altered the instructions, but who knows how many champagne catastrophes occurred in the meantime? Other versions of this drink also include a healthy dose of brandy, but those tend to be a bit heavier on the palate. If you're looking for a little variation, take advantage of the plentiful selection of aromatic bitters at your local spirit shop.