We’ve all been there, you’ve been working on a thing that requires champagne so you opened a bottle and used a little but now it’s like a week later and your fizz isn’t in great shape. Flat champagne is one of the least exciting things ever, and the only thing to do is make a coconut flavoured champagne syrup.

Obviously.

(Being honest, my first thought was to make a straight ahead champagne syrup but I’d been working on a coconut syrup for a different thing and it seemed like a dumb enough idea that it just might work.)

Coconut champagne syrup

600 grams granulated cane sugar
400 grams champagne
100 grams desiccated coconut

Add the sugar to a pan (that holds at least 2 litres) and slowly add the champagne.
Add the desiccated coconut and bring to the boil on the lowest heat you can manage, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Simmer for two minutes, then remove from heat and leave to cool.
Strain into a mixing jug (or another container with a wide neck), cover with cling film and put it in the fridge for at least four hours.
Remove from the fridge - a thin layer of solidified coconut oil should have formed on top.
Use a knife to break up the solidified oil layer, and strain out any solids.
Transfer to a cool, clean bottle, and label.

Yields ~500 ml.

Million Dollar Paloma

50 ml mezcal
15 ml coconut champagne syrup
15 ml lime juice
Top with grapefruit soda

Pour the mezcal, syrup and lime juice into a highball glass, and fill with cubed ice.
Top up with grapefruit soda, and garnish with a lime wheel.

It’s nice to find a use for something that seemed like it had passed its best, and as the Lucky Liquor Co. has reopened for takeaways on weekends, it’s really great that we can actually get some tasty drinks back into people’s hands.