The Champagne Cocktail and the French 75

My story in today's Chronicle:

Leftover Champagne? Sacre bleu! Time for Champagne cocktails
Camper English, Special to The Chronicle
Friday, December 1, 2006

The majority of Champagne cocktails served around the Bay Area are fruit-flavored drinks like the mimosa and Bellini, and sparkling berry drinks by different names. However, a couple of classic Champagne cocktails are bubbling up on drink menus.

The original Champagne cocktail is made by dropping an Angostura bitters-soaked sugar cube into a Champagne flute and filling with sparkling wine or Champagne. It is one of the few drinks today that is made just as it was when the recipe was first printed in Jerry Thomas' 1862 book "How to Mix Drinks," believed to be the first published bartending guide.

Read the rest of the story here.