Happy #Leapday!
The suggested drink for this occasion is the classic Champagne Cocktail and to go with it, smoked salmon blinis.
Champagne Cocktail
The classic Champagne Cocktail is made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy and a maraschino cherry as a garnish. It is one of the official cocktails of the International Bartenders Association (IBA).
A recipe for the cocktail appears as early as “Professor” Jerry Thomas’ Bon Vivant’s Companion (1862), which omits the brandy or cognac and is considered to be the “classic” American version.
Examples of Champagne Cocktails being consumed in fiction include the Victor Laszlo and Captain Renault characters in the 1942 classic movie, Casablanca.
While the term champagne is often used generically to mean a sparkling wine, a true champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France, and is produced under the very strict rules of that appellation. The first champagne was produced accidentally; the characteristic bubbles were actually considered a mistake.
And a canape to go with your Champagne Cocktail:
Blinis with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, caviar (or fish roe) and dill.
