Over the past few years I have developed a major crush on the nineteen twenties. A huge fan of Downton Abbey (really, who isn’t?), I simply adore everything about the twenties- the clothes, the manners, and the overall culture. Give me a cloche hat, beads, and a tea dress anytime.
A willing participant in several twenties events over the last few years, I have constantly heard the name ‘Gatsby’, which has become synonymous with the roaring twenties. I hadn’t read the book until this summer, which I must say, I simply adored. The Great Gatsby was written during the twenties, and F. Scott Fitzgerald beautifully captures both the hardship and frivolity of the time. Most frequently cited are the roaring parties at the house (castle!) of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious young man with more money than anyone could possibly need, and with plenty of fancy shirts. I really enjoyed not only the description of Gatsby’s swingin’ parties, but also of the characters and their battle against (or towards) morality. After falling in love with the novel, I absolutely had to watch the new-ish Gatsby movie by Baz Luhrmann, and create a low-key twenties movie night for myself and a few friends. Dressing up was not required, but I still celebrated the occasion with some flashy sequinned attire. I just love themes!
The Great Gatsby makes several references to food, which I used to inspire the menu for my twenties night. Hors d’oeuvres including pastry pigs (fancy pigs in a blanket), stuffed peppers and mushrooms, peach melba, and plenty of champagne graced my table. Unfortunately, no champagne fountains... Maybe next time. Wanting to celebrate Gatsby in style, I chose a cocktail recipe featuring champagne! The following recipe is a slight adaptation on the Champagne Cobbler recipe from the book Gatsby Cocktails: Classic Cocktails from the Jazz Age. It is a really simple recipe for giggle water (alcohol) with stellar results!
Champagne Cobbler
Makes 1 Drink
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of simple syrup, made from 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar
- 8 ounces of champagne
- 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice
- An orange slice
- A pineapple slice
- Crushed ice
- A mint sprig, to garnish
- To make the simple syrup, boil sugar and water until slightly thickened, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. This will take about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Put the pineapple and orange slice in a glass, and slightly muddle. Add crushed ice, simple syrup, and pineapple juice. Depending on the level of sweetness of the champagne, and your preferred level of sugar, the simple syrup and pineapple juice measurements can be adjusted.
- Fill the rest of the glass with champagne.
- Stir and garnish with a mint sprig.
Bring on the giggle water!
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