Cocktail Hour, a webcomic by Scraps

And not just any leftovers, but Champagne leftovers! (or, more often than not, sparkling wine leftovers)

I realize some may never have this “problem,” but often a bit of the bubbly goes a long way for me and, in striving for moderation in all things, I’m usually left with at least half the bottle once the celebration has passed. What’s a girl to do?

Before I get ahead of myself, let’s start with some basics.

1. Champagne (with a capital ‘c’) technically only comes from the Champagne region of France. Other sparkling wines from France and other countries can be called champagne (little ‘c’) and anything from American wineries that uses the capital-c version is just putting on airs. Still, there’s nothing wrong with sparkling wines by any name, but you should know the difference.
2. Champagne can be dry or sweet. Brut is the driest of the dry, followed by Extra Dry and then Dry (or Sec) which is what most people are used to drinking and what I usually consider “sweet” by comparison. Everything is relative. Demi-Sec and Doux are the sweeter and sweetest sparklers and generally not found in the States but apparently Latin America really likes the sugar so that’s where most of them go.
3. Bottle sizes vary. The usual 750 ml bottle that you find in most shops is also known as a Bouteille. A “split”, which you might see on some restaurant lists or hear bandied about from time to time, is a little Quart or quarter-bottle at 187 ml and will give you 2 small glasses and are a bit smaller than those old glass soda bottles. Great for trying out new champagnes or putting into gift bags or baskets. FInally, a Magnum is essentially a double-bottle yeilding 12 servings (the single bottle should serve 6) and looks kind of impressive. Bottles larger than the Magnum are named after Biblical figures: Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, etc. all the way up to the Nebuchadnezzar which is a whopping 20-bottle/15 liter behemoth!
4. If your champagne overflows its bottle when you open it: you did it wrong. Do not shake the bottle or treat it badly, you’ll waste all the bubbles that way. Instead, remove the outer wrapping (there should be a little tab on the foil) and gently loosen the wire cage that keeps the cork in place. Holding a small towel over the top of the bottle, gently work the cork out and you should hear the faintest “pop” when the cork comes loose. Pour and serve immediately.

That being said, let’s get back to the leftovers and what to do with them.

First things first, try a champagne cocktail! Add orange juice to champagne for a mimosa (great with brunch!) or peach nectar for a bellini which is good any time. Pretty much any fruit juice can top off your champagne flute and be very tasty. You can also add other liqueurs to champagne for a variety of different tastes. I found an interesting list of champagne cocktails here that you might like to try. My personal favorites include “Nelson’s Blood” (port and champagne) and the “Flirtini” (champagne, vodka and pineapple juice) but I think I’ll stay away from the “Blue Velvet” or any of the drinks that look like drain cleaner. (Anyone else remember that scene from Heathers? Exactly.)

The other way to use leftover sparkling wine is to cook with it! Over time the bubbly will lose it’s fizz, but that’s about all. So pop it into the fridge (use one of those wine stoppers that seals the bottle, like the Vacu Vin Wine Saver Extra Stoppers, Set of 4, instead of trying to fit the cork back into the bottle) and it’ll keep for a while, at least for cooking purposes. Leftover champagne works great in salad dressings in place of all or part of the vinegar and in any recipes that call for white wine (since most champagnes are white). In fact, I made my favorite risotto the other night and all I had in the house was a sweet white wine instead of the usual dry but it substituted with absolutely no problem so you can even use sweet sparklers in savory recipes without fear. After all, you should only cook with the wines you’re willing to drink, so this fits nicely.

One last thing. Did you accidentally leave the champagne out instead of putting it back into the fridge? Well, one night (especially if it’s a cooler one) probably won’t kill it, but if you detect a change in flavor, why not try making your own wine vinegars? Here’s an interesting article from holybasil.wordpress.com.

Let us depart the ethanol-tinged waters I usually tread for a more sedate beverage today: tea.

It’s chilly this week in Florida and that has me reaching for the kettle and my stash of various teas and tisanes. What’s a tisane? Well, only beverages brewed from tea leaves are tea, the herbal beverages that are frequently called teas but contain no tea leaves are technically tisanes. Doesn’t change them, really, it’s just a bit more correct.

My favorite tea is Earl Grey and Twinings is thoughful enough to provide a decaf version that most stores carry, so I can steep myself in Oil of Bergamot (that citrusy note that makes Earl Grey Tea, Earl Grey Tea). I will occasionally take it with a bit of milk and a sugar cube or two (yes, I buy sugar cubes just for drinking tea) but usually I’m good with a healthy dollop of honey for sweetness. (And as much of a geek as I am, it’s not because of Captain Picard, it’s merely a coincidence that my favorite captain prefers my favorite tea.) And for those hot months (which is most of the time, here in Florida) a mix of Earl Grey and Lemonade makes the BEST drink in the World (courtesy of the Earl of Sandwhich in Downtown Disney).

Another frequent tea in my cup is the “Herbal Revive” tisane (also from Twinings) that is essentially ginger and lemon peel with a bit of other flavors thrown in (but no actual tea leaves, hence it’s a tisane despite the fact that the package says “herbal tea”). When combined with honey, the lemon perks up a sore throat and stuffy sinuses and the ginger is good for settling an upset tummy.

Now, those two teas come in bags and I’m generally okay with bagged teas for everyday use: they’re economical and you can sometimes get another cup to half a cup out of a good tea bag by adding more hot water to the cup (referred to as “rebolitto” when talking soups, the reboiling usually gives you a slightly weaker cup of tea so if I’m planning on stretching out that cup I’ll refill once I’ve finished about 2/3 of the first one). Loose teas are generally a step up in quality and I have some of those, too, mostly from Adagio.com.

Of course, if you can’t find a blend you prefer on the store shelves, you can make a tisane out of practically anything. Put your ingredients (citrus zest strips, herbs, spices, etc) in a cup and top with water from a tea kettle and let steep for 3-8 minutes. The time depends on how tough it is for the water to work the oils and flavors from the items in your cup. Fresh herbs and zests will take less time than dried flowers of, say, chamomile or lavendar, and those take less time, still, that a bit of cinnamon stick or dried woody herbs like rosemary or thyme. You can use a tea ball or reusable muslin tea bag to steep your teas but it’s really not that tough to drink loose teas–after all, you’re supposed to sip , not gulp.

And for the gardner or hands-on tea drinker I’ve just come across this Indoor Deluxe Herbal Tea Herb Garden that I’m really itching to try. Granted, I have a pair of black thumbs, but maybe something small like this I could actually manage to grow!