Add Sparkle To Your Cocktail Bar: Your Guide to Creating a Champagne Bar Wed, Mar 01, 23 | entertaining Planning a neighborhood meet-and-greet, important business event, special brunch or wedding reception? A Champagne Bar is an easy, fun and convenient addition to the regular beer and wine menu selections for any party. It’s also a classy touch at a very affordable price. With a Champagne Bar, you don’t have to use a French champagne that costs $40 or more per bottle. (Save that bottle for another time.) For this bar, you can use a value champagne or sparkling wine but still offer guests a delicious cocktail. The traditional Mimosa or a classic Kir Royal are great cocktail choices, but you can offer your guests a little more variety. Setup is easy—use a banquet table and cover it with a tablecloth. Flowers are always a nice touch too. Cordials The French company Pierre Ferrand offers Mathilde Cordials; a complete line of artisan fruit cordials at a very reasonable price. The flavors include peach, black currant, pear, raspberry and orange. They come in 375 ml bottles and blend perfectly with champagne and sparkling wine. Shop Mathilde Liqueurs Here Mathilde Cocktail Recipes Below are Signature Cocktail Recipes. To make a simple version of any of these, add 2 oz. of Mathilde Liqueur, top with sparkling wine and garnish with fresh fruit of choice. THE ST CROIX MARTINI • 2 oz. Plantation Rum • ½ oz. Mathilde Cassis – Black Currant Liqueur • 1½ oz. fresh pressed apple juice PREPARATION Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Plantation rum, Mathilde Black Currant liqueur and apple juice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with fresh berries or fruit. SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE • 1½ oz. Plantation Original Dark Rum • ½ oz. Mathilde Orange XO Liqueur • ¼ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice • ¾ oz. simple syrup • 2 oz. mango juice PREPARATION Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients; shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a fresh mango wedge. MATHILDE PEACH PASSION • ¾ oz. Mathilde Pêche Liqueur • 1½ oz. Citadelle Gin • ½ oz. freshly squeezed orange juice • ½ oz. passion fruit juice • dash of peach bitters • dash of grenadine PREPARATION Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a well-chilled martini glass and garnish with a mint leaf. SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE • 2 oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur • 2 oz. Citadelle Gin • 1 oz. fresh squeezed (recommended) lemon juice PREPARATION Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf. PICK ME UP • 1 ¼ oz. Mathilde Framboise Liqueur • 1 oz. espresso • squeeze of lime wedge • tonic water PREPARATION In an iced Collins glass, add Mathilde Framboise, espresso and a squeeze of lime wedge. Top with tonic water and garnish with a fresh raspberry. FRESH FRUITFresh seasonal fruit can be added to the cocktails or used as garnish, and fresh fruit centerpieces add pop to your table. CHAMPAGNE FLUTESYou should always use glassware for this instead of plastic flutes. Riedel Glassware is the recommended option. JUICESThink beyond orange juice and provide your guests with flavorful alternatives like apple, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, peach or a fruit blend. CHAMPAGNE / SPARKLING WINEA bottle of sparkling wine should be in an ice bath and kept very cold. Have a few other bottles pre-chilled and ready. FRESH FLOWERSEither from the floral shop or picked from your yard, fresh flowers always add a nice touch to any occasion. SPARKLING WINE RECOMMENDATION: Toso Brut By Clark Trim
