Diamond Fizz Cocktail
I was pulling my hair out this week trying to decide what vintage cocktail to bring you. Should I do a whiskey drink? What about vodka? Or maybe gin. But then I remembered that the Academy Awards are this Sunday, so I thought I should do something a little fancier. How can a cocktail be fancy you ask? Add champagne!
But I didn’t want to do a Champagne Cocktail or a Black Velvet, although I’m sure we’ll see plenty of both during this decades old Hollywood tradition. No, I wanted to do something that would shine. A cocktail that would sparkle as brightly as the millions of carats the stars will be wearing as they walk the red carpet. And thanks to Los Angeles’ Art Deco Society, I found the perfect cocktail.
While attending the Society’s recent Casino Moderne (their tribute to Boardwalk Empire), I met a gentleman who was sipping the lovely cocktail. When I inquired as to its ingredients, I was shocked to hear gin, as I do not drink gin. But since I enjoyed the drink so, I asked how it differed from the much more common Gin Fizz, a cocktail of which I am not a fan. He explained that instead of using the banal seltzer water, this Fizz is topped with champagne. And since champagne is definitely more regal than seltzer, a “diamond” title is much more apropos.
Although I’m not quite sure when or how the Diamond Fizz was created, I can tell you that it’s been around since at least 1862 when it was included in The Bon Vivant’s Companion which is the earliest cocktail book ever printed. Although I prefer to imbibe my alcohol after noon, the Fizz was originally considered an early morning drink specifically designed to ward off an awful hangover. But no matter when you choose to sip this cocktail, sip it with champagne. After all, I’m pretty sure that’s how the stars will consuming it on Sunday.
Diamond Fizz Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 oz gin
- juice from half a lemon
- 1 tsp sugar
- champagne
Directions:
- Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for one minute.
- Strain into a cocktail glass, top with champagne and serve.
