It was one of the super busy Friday`s at the bar when I got this call from a friend of mine. He wanted to know if its safe to imbibe some Scottish malt after some Champagne. I am no authority at this subject but still, I do not like to let go of exploring the idea once it lands up in my radar.
For the moment, I told my friend it`s never safe to mix drinks unless you have a dehydration plan at hand. (Cocktails are another thing). Secondly it will also depend on how he defines the “some” champagne and the “some” single malt. Thirdly, what quality alcohol are we talking? Turns out he had no plan at hand, by “some” he meant half bottle of Champagne and 3-4 rounds of scotch. The brands of evil at question were “Moet & Chandon” and Glenfiddich 18 year old –undoubtedly great spirits both.
Not many people in India would have much experience with drinking Champagne. It`s not so much part of the drinking culture in India as in the west. Also known sweetly as “Bubbly”, I know of it to be devil. At many a parties that I have managed the bars, I have seen what it can do to people. It is easy to drink, hard to say no to, and can leave you with one hell of a hangover. I carry no statistics, but looks like its more favorite with women and also its perpetuates greater hangover to women than men. But again this is a general observation.
Champagne by category falls under sparkling wines and comes exclusively from the Champagne region in France. The fizz in champagne is like that in beer, caused by secondary fermentation induced in the bottle. This carbonation speeds up the body`s process of absorbing alcohol. If you plan to drink licquor I shudder to imagine what it can do to you.
I have not tested empirically in the field, but suffices to know from reading that the lesser the intake of other kinds of sugar while consuming champagne, the lesser is chances of being left with cotton mouth, head or body aches & nausea. This is because Champagne itself has very high levels of sugar.Once the cork is popped open, it’s always a good idea to stick to champagne for the rest of the evening. It should be the beginning and the ending of your drinking session.
Turns out next day, my friend did not graduate to the malt at all. The Champagne was enough on her own. Sugar crash I guess.
BOTTOM LINE: CHAMPAGNE AND LIQUOR THE SAME EVENING – NEVER WORSE.
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