On 15/05/2012 2:25 PM, gtr wrote:

>> ps never heard of adding sugar (orange juice yes) to champagne-will have
>> to try that because I usually don't like champagne.
>
> Nor I. But to each their own tastes, if you want to add tomato juice or
> beef stock to your champagne--go for it. There's no laws, even though
> others may think it disgusting. You may classify everyone who doesn't
> like what you like as snobs, though, and go on about your business with
> a chip on your shoulder grossing about other people while you drink just
> what you like. It can become a talent unto itself!

I have had champagne cocktails and mimosas. They are okay, but a hell
of a waste of good champagne. I see no point in using real champagne if
you are going to mix it with something overpowering. It is IMO a waste.

If you want to do it, use a cheap sparkling wine
FWIW I picked up a couple bottles of Hungarian "champagne. We recently
read a news paper food and drink column where a bunch of party-goers
blind tasted a variety of champagnes and champagne style sparking wine,
and it was ranked above some of the much more expensive French champagnes.





>
> I got an eau de vie that was extremely loud and had too much alcoholic
> bite. I mixed it with a good vermouth (Noilly Pratt), put it on ice with
> a slice of lemon and it was really good. Most booze seems good after you
> get through half the drink. This, unless you're a purist, and then the
> conceptual aspects can override what your tastebuds actually tell you.
> If that happens you can call yourself a snob and bitch about what you
> think. That might be considered neurotic, but again, halfway through the
> drink, who cares?

Vermouth makes a good mixer in some liquors. Canadian Rye is my least
favourite type of whisky but the one I drink the most of because I add
sweet vermouth to it to make Manhattans.

>
>> One Christmas we had a really expensive bottle of it and I marveled
>> hours later that it still had bubbles rising-can't say I liked it though.
>
> If you don't like a certain quality that a wine produces then a more
> expensive version of it probably won't change things. I thought I didn't
> like white wines until I began drinking them with food. Now I like them
> a lot, but still all by themselves they are not my first choice. I
> prefer them with grub.


Then there are people like my brother and his wife. When they come over
I have to go out and get much cheaper crappier wine than I would ever
get for myself. They prefer it. No point in wasting good wine on them
when they will let you know they dislike it.