Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France. Modern champagne is guided by the rules of appellation, which is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The grapes Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Charodonnay are used to produce champagne.

Much ahead of the creation of the sparkling wine, still wines from the Champagne region were known since Medieval France. The Romans established vineyards in the Champagne region and these vineyards started to produce a light, fruity red wine that was a contrast to the heavier Italian brews.

Later Church owned vineyards started producing wines for ceremonies and festivities like the coronation, but the wine makers of Champagne were envious of the reputation of their neighbouring Burgundy wine makers, but the cooler climate of Champagne was a challenge to the production of red wine, and the grapes would struggle to ripen fully, and would have bracing levels of acidity and low sugar level, that would result in lighter and thinner red wines.

The oldest record of sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, a wine invented by Benedictine monks in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Carcassone. Sparkling wine is created by bottling the wine before the fermentation has ended and another method is by addition of sugar and yeast to trigger a second fermentation in a finished wine.

However, despite the accidental invention of sparkling wine in France outside the Abbey, and despite recording of the in bottle second fermentation process of a finished wine been recorded in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire by English scientist Christopher Merret in 1662 and noted as a process in use by the Benedictine monks since 1531, wine makers in Champagne were unable to use what is now known as the méthode traditionnelle or particularly méthode champenoise in Champagne until the 17th Century.

This was because glass manufacturing in France was not advanced enough to manufacture bottles that could withstand the internal pressure of the carbonation process. They used Méthode rurale, the early method used by the monks that created Blanquette de Limoux, in which the wine is bottled before the first fermentation is finished, and the yeast sediment after fermentation remains in the bottle.

The méthode champenoise which alternatively is known as méthode traditionnelle outside Champagne uses a second fermentation by adding a little sugar and yeast and then the sediment is slowly removed after an elaborate process of riddling and then disgorging, a process of removing the lees, the sediment that has settled at the neck near the cap of the inverted bottle.

So, in short, sparkling wines are produced outside Champagne too, and like Limoux can be of exquisite quality, but the Champagne due to early clever marketing, became associated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and thus became a popular drink for the middle class too. Which created the legend of Champagne and now, with successful Geographical Indication Appellate, Champagne as a name and the name méthode champenoise can only be used by Champagnes that meet the requirement of the Appellate, and are from Champagne and Champagne only.

Cognac

Cognac is a geographically specific Brandy, named after the commune Cognac, France. Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in the south-west of France.

Cognac production is regulated by the French Appellation d'origine with specific methods of production and specific grapes from designated regions to be used to meet the legal requirement to be declared a Cognac.

Methods include a double distillation in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Troncais. Cognac is also an eau de vie.

Cognac has a fascinating history and it's association with Napoleon Bonaparte, specifically the Emperor's association with the Courvoisier cognac has made Cognac one of the most celebrated and sought after alcoholic beverage ever.


Napoleon Bonaparte visited Bercy in 1811 as documented in a historic painting by Etienne Bouhot and later was credited with saying he wanted his artillery companies to have a ration of cognac during the Napoleonic Wars - Wikipedia
The current legally defined categories of Cognac are
V.S.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of two years. Also known as Very Special or Three Stars.
V.S.O.P.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of four years. Also known as Very Special Old Pale or Reserve.
X.O.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of six years

Orange Juice

Orange Juice is an excellent source of Vitamin C, one cup contains twice the daily recommended value. Vitamin C supports the immune system and helps fighting the common cold. The folate in Orange juice supports healthy fetal development. It is low calory and thus is already a qualified alternative to cola fizz in your cocktail if you want to keep your drinks acceptably healthy.

Orange Juice being citrus and naturally sweet and sour, it literally goes with almost any liquor, and of course Vodka being neutral, the best known pairing is with Vodka. But goes well with Dark Rum too, and you get the Planter's Punch, mix it with Champagne and you have made a mimosa, or with tequila to make a tequila sunrise.

Angostura Bitters

Angostura Bitters is a concentrated bitters based on gentian, herbs and spices, from the House of Angostura in Trinadad and Tobago. Note that the Angostura Bitters from the House of Angostura do not contain Angostura bark.
However, Angostura Bitters or Angobitter offered by other brands like Riemerschmid and Hemmeler, contain angostura bark, possibly to justify using the word "Angostura" in their names.

Sugar

Brown Sugar is a sucrose sugar with a distinctive brown colour from the presence of molasses, it is a partially refined or unrefined sugar containing sugar crystals and residual molasses giving it a distinctive taste and flavour of crystallised molasses or toffee. The taste of dark brown sugar is described as a caramel taste with a deep molasses flavour.
Brown sugar is used in cocktails where a caramel candy or toffee flavour is expected.

Caster Sugar is finely ground granulated sugar. It is not as fine a powdered confectioners' sugar and has a little grit to it. It is somewhere between confectioners' sugar and granulated sugar, and melts in mouth with a mild spicy feel to the tongue

Vanilla Sugar is the regular granulated sugar infused with vanilla flavour, by using vanilla pods and seeds to flavour the sugar. A home made alternative is to use vanilla sticks or pods in a jar of sugar and leave it sealed for 4 weeks to allow the vanilla flavour to infuse. Or to use granulated sugar and vanilla extract and blend in a mixer, although this ends up in powdered sugar.