LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

here is no better aperitif than brut Champagne. Its tart dryness, its complexity, its lingering resonance stimulate the appetite like an alarm clock. Meanwhile, all the other festive, celebratory associations are hard at work in the subconscious, prompt- ing merriment. But sometimes real Champagne lies beyond the available budget, especially if you have a number of guests. Fortunately, there are many alternatives, most of them at around half the price. Here are some of my current favourites.

BUBBLY

   Any of these three would be per- fectly fine on its own, but adding a little extra something personal- izes the moment in a way that your guests will find flattering. The sim- plest process is to put an ounce of a complementary elixir in the bottom of a flute and fill it up (carefully) with bubbly. So many things work deliciously well! Southbrook Fram- boise ( LCBO 341024, 375 mL, $17.95) is foolproof and festive, bringing raspberries to the party and ting- ing the sparkling wine pink. Grand Marnier ( LCBO 1784, $44.95) is a splendid component with its orange and Cognac personality. You might need a different ratio if Alizé Gold Passion ( LCBO 338079, $25.95) is your choice: the passion-fruit-and- Cognac flavours are best balanced

at around four parts sparkling wine to one part Alizé. My personal favou- rite is an ounce of neat Pimm’s No. 1 Cup ( LCBO 282277, $27.95) topped upwith bubbly. The bittersweet, herb- al-fruity flavour of the great British summer drink blends brilliantly with Champagne.    There is an infinite number of variations of the Champagne cocktail but I prefer the classic version from the Savoy hotel, created in the 1930s, the way my father used to make it. Drop a lump of sugar into a Cham- pagne flute and add two or three drops of Angostura bitters. Tip in a tablespoonful of brandy (my dad was stingy with his brandy) and top up with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of orange zest. Retro, yes, but somehow it still works like a charm.

Featherstone Joy Premium Cu- vée Sparkling ( VINTAGES 310334, $34.95)—in stores November 28— is a local bubbly from Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench, a blanc de blancs made with estate-grown Chardonnay in the same method as Champagne. It’s dry, but not ag- gressively so, and full of delight- ful apple and citrus aromas. Paul Delane Crémant de Bourgogne Ré­ serve ( LCBO 214981, $19.90) is also predominantly Chardonnay, with toasted hazelnut and mineral notes providing a braid of flavours. And of course there is always Prosecco from northeastern Italy. I’ve been enjoying Mionetto Prosecco Treviso ( LCBO 266023, $17.95) recently—a light, simple sparkler that tastes of pears with a touch of toast.