This tasty strawberry champagne cocktail combines fresh strawberry puree, fresh ginger and champagne — perfect for brunch, shower or a holiday party.

I don’t know how things are done where you live, but when we throw a brunch in Mississippi there is typically some sort of alcoholic beverage served among the finger sandwiches and McCarty pottery.  I’m not talking about bottles of Bud Light iced down in a cooler.   We do it tastefully.

I have never combined strawberries with ginger before, but I love the spicy hint that it gave this cocktail.  If you are planning a brunch, shower or holiday party, this beautiful rose-hued strawberry champagne cocktail would be perfect to serve in lieu of (or in addition to!) a mimosa, Bloody Mary, or a screwdriver.

Choosing the Right Champagne … Does it Even Have to be Champagne?

Technically, in order for a bottle to be called champagne it’s supposed to come from the Champagne region of France. I guess that rule isn’t quite as hardcore as it used to be, because the Korbel you see in the photos hails from California.

No, you aren’t strictly limited to champagne. Sparkling wine or a Cava will also work. Just look for something semi-dry, but also affordable. You don’t want something too sweet that it competes with the berries and ginger, but not so dry that it takes away from the flavors either.   If you prefer to serve these sans-alcohol, you can always substitute the sparkling wine for ginger ale.

Make the Strawberry Puree

This recipe calls for a piece of peeled fresh ginger. The stuff we use for cooking is the root of the ginger plant. To me, they look like gnarly little trees. Using a sharp knife, cut off roughly a two-inch piece. It doesn’t have to be exact, just eyeball it. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully scrape off the rough, tan outer layer to reveal the bright yellow pulp underneath.

In a medium saucepan, combine the hunk of ginger with one pound of fresh or frozen washed and chopped strawberries.  To that same saucepan, add one cup of granulated white sugar and one cup of water.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are broken down and softened, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove and discard the piece of ginger. Pour the rest of the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as you can. Add ¼ cup of lemon juice to the extracted juice. Because bottled lemon juice has that metallic after taste, I strongly recommend using fresh here. Allow mixture to come to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to chill for about two hours.

Assemble the Strawberry Champagne Cocktails

Just before serving, add about 1 ounce of the strawberry syrup to six champagne flutes. Fill each glass partially with the champagne. Do this SLOWLY, because when the bubbly initially hits the strawberry syrup it’s going to fizz. Allow the fizz to settle and continue to fill the glasses to the top. Serve chilled.

Storage

If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the strawberry syrup will last up to a week in the refrigerator. However, once opened, champagne starts to lose its fizz within three days. Using a bottle stopper like this one will prolong the shelf life.

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