2021 Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 9 – That Holiday Sparkle. Is it even a holiday party if you don’t welcome guests with a Champagne cocktail?
As I believe in serving only the best for my guests, the star of That Holiday Sparkle is the Best Champagne of the World (as named in this year’s world wine and spirits competition) – Piper-Heidsieck. It is also the most awarded Champagne house in the world. Winemaker Émilien Boutillat has been awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the year by International Wine Competition as well. Talk about a winning combination.
I’ve combined it here with bourbon, ruby port, gingerbread syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a dash of Absinthe for a complex and flavourful greeting for your guests.
This post is sponsored by Piper-Heidsieck.
The Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut I’ve used in this recipe is the signature Cuvée of the House. It is a round and vibrant non-vintage Cuvée Brut calling up the rich variety of its blend of over 100 crus (cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards) from across the patchwork of Champagne vineyards.
On the nose, it will greet you with notes of almond and fresh hazelnut followed by a smooth palate of pear and apple, with a finish marked by hints of fresh citrus.
Hopefully the holiday party circuit this year will leave you with a few great stories that you can tell for years to come. Piper-Heidsieck is a storied Champagne house, founded in 1785 by Florens Louis-Heidsieck who strove to create a “wine that smiles”. An ambitious self-starter, Louis-Heidsieck shared his first cuvée with Marie Antoinette and it was love at first sip. The Queen would become the first “Heidsieck & Cie” ambassador.
From Hapsburg princes to Chinese emperors, 14 royal and imperial courts would go on to accord the privilege or royal warrant-holder to the Champagne house.
Given its prestige and celebrated place in royal courts, its no wonder that Piper-Heidsieck went on to win over the palates of Hollywood royalty as well. Piper-Heidsieck was the first bottle of Champagne to make an on-screen appearance in the Laurel and Hardy film Sons of the Desert.
In a compelling case for blondes really do have more fun, in 1953 Marilyn Monroe famously declared, “I go to bed with a few drops of Chanel No. 5 and I wake up each morning with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck; it warms me up.”
I can promise that That Holiday Sparkle will definitely warm you up and I can only hope that Marilyn would have loved this cocktail. Either way, you’ll probably feel like an A-lister when you’re sipping on The Holiday Sparkle this season!
Tune into my Instagram stories tonight at 5 pm Eastern for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make this Champagne cocktail!
That Holiday Sparkle
Welcome guests with a delicious champagne cocktail made with Piper-Heidsieck, perfect for celebrating any holiday occasion.
- 1½ oz bourbon
- ½ oz gingerbread syrup
- ½ oz ruby port
- 1/3 oz orange juice
- 1 dash Absinthe optional
- 2 oz Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne
- Garnish: orange twist
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger thinly sliced
- 1 tsp whole allspice berries
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
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Add all ingredients, excluding Piper-Heidsieck, to a cocktail shaker and shake over ice until well-chilled.
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Strain into a chilled flute glass. Top with Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne.
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Garnish with an orange twist.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients listed. Bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the ingredients blend together.
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Reduce to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Once reduced and slightly syrupy, remove from heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
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Carefully strain the whole ingredients out of the syrup. Once cool enough to handle, store the gingerbread syrup in a swing top bottle or mason jar and keep in the fridge. Syrup will keep for at least a month.
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