“The origins of the Champagne Cocktail seem to be tied to a curious
challenge: it’s 1889, and its creator would be one John
Dougherty, who supposedly created the drink by winning a competition
among colleagues organized by an American journalist. A second
version of its origin story is also about a contest, but
places it in the next century, in the 1930s, a decade in which the
Champagne Cocktail actually became widely popular among the
public.
What is certain is that this cocktail had already
appeared in some recipe books compiled well before its origin:
featured in 1862 in the famous “Bartender’s Guide: How to
Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivant’s Companion” by ‘Professor’ Jerry
Thomas, the previous year it also appeared in a famous publication
from Victorian England: “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household
Management”. The Champagne Cocktail would also make its
appearance in cinema, from “The Thin Man” (1934) to “Casablanca”
(1942), as well as within the pages of “The Big Sleep”,
a best-selling crime novel by Raymond Chandler.”
Ingredients
90 ml Martin des Orsyn Champagne
10 ml Cognac
2 drops of Angostura
a few drops of Grand Marnier (optional)
Sugar cube
Procedure
Let a few drops of angostura slide onto the
sugar cube already placed at the bottom of the cocktail
glass. Then add the cognac and top with
well-chilled Champagne.