G’day gift givers, now that spring is here, we need gifts for weddings, spring racing and parties which are happening all around us. I thought I would give my wrappers specials on our Champagne gifts this week. The ritual of raising a glass in honour of a special person or event has been around for years, and over time the rules of making a toast have developed. Making a "toast" emerged in the seventeenth century, it is traditional to hold the glass in your right hand to prove you were unarmed and you were to clink the glasses together to frighten away any evil spirits lurking in the wine.
Toasting Etiquette: Champagne, it seems is the most popular choice for a toast, however, it's perfectly OK to use fruit juice, it's considered bad luck to toast with water (and a bit boring). When toasting, the guidelines are:
- Never tap on a glass to hush the audience.
- Before your toast, make sure that everyone has a filled glass.
- Always stand when delivering your toast
- And look the honouree in the eye as you are making your toast.
Straight Champagne is nice, but cocktails are better. So if you are in the mood for a cocktail tonight, here is the recipe for "The Classic Champagne Cocktail"
Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne flute, and saturate it with two dashes of Angostura Bitters. Pour in 30ml of cognac or Brandy and top up the glass with quality Champagne. Add the Champagne just before serving so the recipient gets to see the bubbles from the sugar cube dissolving.
Lastly, add a strawberry on the side of the glass for that classy look !
Drink up! And have a great weekend...
