Le Bicyclette
When in Paris ... and even when not.
by Erin Henderson
At the time of this writing, I'm in Champagne. Reims, to be exact. It's Champagne's busiest city, a little less than 150 kilometres northeast of Paris, or, a 30-minute train ride on the fast-moving TGV.
More importantly, it's the birthplace of modern Champagne (there is evidence to suggest sparkling wine was actually developed in the southern French area of Limoux; there is also very good evidence to suggest the "discovery" of Champagne was actually an accident, and not a happy one at that.)
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Anyway, whether it came from the French south, or the east, by accident, or not, it's here now and most wine lovers are quite happy it is.
While, just like Paris, Champagne is always a good idea, I'm particularly fond of Champagne cocktails. Of course, Champers commanding the price that it does, I generally think only a fool or the stratospherically rich would blend their traditional method bubbles with other things. Instead, I like a brut Crémant, or even a good quality Cava, for mixing into drinks.
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La Bicyclette
I found the recipe for this cocktail in David Lebovitz' excellent book, Drinking French.
Most Bicyclette/Bicycletta cocktails use Campari, like a riff on an Aperol spritz. Not many are found with crème de cassis, which is what appeals to me about this drink.
If you don’t have the Dijon variety, there are a few cassis liqueurs available in Ontario, so use any black currant spirit, or even framboise.
Makes: 1 drink
Bartender level: easy
Ingredients:
- 1 oz crème de cassis, preferably Crème de Cassis de Dijon
- 2 oz dry (white) vermouth
- 4-6 oz Champagne or another French sparkling wine
How to Make It:
- Add the cassis and vermouth to a shaker filled with ice and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a champagne flute or coup and top with sparkling wine.