The History of Champagne

Champagne has a long history of being there for every celebration. From ships to sports wins to anniversaries to birthdays, champagne is delightful, refreshing, and its bubbles make it exciting.

Who doesn’t love the anticipation of popping the cork on a bottle of iced champagne?

Champagne mocktail recipes are toastable beverages suitable for any connoisseur, or any age, and just about any occasion. Champagne itself has qualities that make it unique amongst other wines:

• From its light and refreshing flavor to its exclusivity — true champagne is from the Champagne region of France.

• From its definitive expiration — once you open a bottle of champagne, you are committed to enjoying that bottle till the last sip. There is no saving that bottle for later as the bubbles immediately begin to fade.

Champagne brings a certain “je ne sais quoi” to any party. However, what if you were able to bring all the flavor, luxury, and excitement of champagne without the alcohol? In today’s post, we will be exploring what makes champagne unique and how you can recreate your own fizzy, aromatic, and delicious mock champagne mocktail at home.

Accidental Delight

However, this exciting party drink may have been created by accident. True champagne, made in Champagne, is made with a protected method called the méthode champenoise, and only champagne producers in the area are allowed to use this method.

There is some folklore around the creation of sparkling wine. The story was told that a monk named Dom Perignon at Abbey of Hautvillers first discovered sparkling wine and coined it “drinking stars” before shifting his focus and working to ensure a way to make all of his wine bubbly.

However, though Dom Perignon was the cellar-master at the Abbey of Hautvillers, this tale has been disputed. All of Dom Perignon’s work was well cataloged and logged, and he made no mention of sparkling wine. This story was thought to give credibility to the abbey and its winemaking practices.

However, champagne itself is made from wine being bottled before the fermentation of the wine has been completed. This allows the wine to continue to ferment in the bottle.

Sparkling wine was an accidental side effect of rushing the fermentation process. It was generally looked down upon as it could disrupt and damage production if the bottles were to explode without forewarning. This fizzy wine was created as early as 1531 in France and even 1662, well before Dom Perignon.

This delightful story didn’t dissuade Moët and Chandon from creating a brand of champagne called Dom Perignon in 1921, which is one of the most well-known champagnes on the market today.

Virgin Champagne

We’ve all had sparkling grape juice. This sweet, juice-based, non-alcoholic wine does an excellent job of letting children think they are enjoying a fancy beverage. Still, these beverages aren’t a genuine replacement for the real thing to those with a refined palate.

However, we feel we’ve managed to create the aromatics that give champagne that delightful bouquet with this recipe.

So how do you make virgin Champagne that isn’t sparkling grape juice?

By invoking champagne’s flavors and the scents and the relaxing feeling, your body receives from enjoying alcohols like champagne. In this particular recipe, we achieve these by using a simple syrup made of Egyptian Chamomile tea.

Chamomile Tea and its Natural Calming Effect

Chamomile has been used in folk medicine for centuries to help calm upset stomachs, skin irritation and as a sleep aid. However, a recent study has shown that chamomile also aids in helping to reduce overall stress and social anxiety—these natural anxiety reducers allow the sipper to relax and unwind. Chamomile has successfully been used to help treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

The Aromatic Properties of the Rose

Roses, like chamomile, are full of soothing aromatics. Commonly used to help fight anxiety and depression, rose essential oil is found in blends to help reduce migraines and abdominal pain.

Chamomile and Rose Homemade Virgin Champagne Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yields: 5 + serving

Course: Cocktail

Ingredients

• ½ cup Organic Cane Sugar
• ½ cup of spring water
• 2 heaping tablespoons of Egyptian Chamomile Tea
• 3 ounces soda water, we chose Fever-Tree
• 6 to 8 of the inner petals of a fragrant organic rose

Tools

• Saucepan
• Measuring cups
• Cheesecloth or coffee filter
• Rubber spatula
• Champagne Glass
• Glass Dropper or teaspoon

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring half a cup of water to a boil. Add in your two tablespoons of chamomile tea and allow to steep for five minutes.

   

2. Once your tea has been infused, strain your tea through your coffee filter or cheesecloth, leaving only the liquid.
3. Return your strained tea liquid to the saucepan and reheat on medium heat. Add in your half cup of sugar and stir to combine until the sugar has dissolved for about ten minutes. If you would like to make a thicker syrup, you can continue to cook on medium heat for another five to ten minutes.
4. Next, peel back the petals of a fragrant organic rose until you reach the small, soft, center petals. Remove six to eight of these small petals and drop them into the bottom of your champagne glass.
5. Gently fill your Champagne glass with soda water till you almost reach the brim.

   

6. Then, using a dropper or a small mixing spoon, drop in two whole droppers or mix in two teaspoons of the chamomile syrup. This will cause your soda water to bubble and lift the scent of the rose petals to the top of the glass.

   

7. Enjoy immediately. Take in big sniffs of the aromatic blend of tea and rose petals.

   

Liquid Luxury and Decadence

This beverage goes beyond bottled decadence and is all about the process of creation as well as the enjoyment of the drink itself.

We think this is the perfect accompaniment to a family-friendly brunch.

Simply supply your guests with a dropper or small bowl of the simple syrup, a bottle of the soda water, and a single rose in their champagne glass or a whole bouquet in the center of the table waiting to be assembled and enjoyed.

Not only will the activity delight your guests, but they will be able to enjoy its fizzy and relaxing bouquet all evening while covering the table with beautiful and fragrant rose petals.

Imported Excellence

At Estero Bay, we select only the finest teas, olive oils, and balsamic vinegar to stock our shelves. The products are packed with flavor, a variety of uses, and endless creative possibilities.

Join us each week as we share a new olive oil and teas recipe with you here. We use our products in new and exciting ways that everyone can enjoy, from the cooking novice to the accomplished chef.

Sources

https://thegoodlifefrance.com/the-real-history-of-champagne-and-its-bubbles/

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-is-chamomile-used-for-social-anxiety-3024966

https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-rose-essential-oil-88790