# Suggestions for flat champagne **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789 "2008-02-15T19:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/1 "2008-02-15T19:47:57Z")
I’ve got about half a bottle of champagne left over from last night which, predictably, is now flat. Any suggestions for what to do with it? I’m assuming that drinking it wouldn’t be the best use, but I’ve not tried it today. I had been planning on cooking with it - poaching salmon or some such, and just found a fondue recipe which recommends flat champagne as the liquid. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/2 "2008-02-15T20:12:55Z")
I wonder if you could add it to some kind of fruity dessert? Champagne fruit salad sounds kinda interesting. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/3 "2008-02-15T20:16:34Z")
If it’s just one day old, I wouldn’t write off drinking it. I’d simply add Perrier or seltzer water to it, along with some OJ, and call it a Zombie Mimosa (being as it’s been brought back from the dead). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/4 "2008-02-15T21:09:38Z")
Champagne is just wine. It’s best when bubbly, but there’s no reason you can’t drink it like a still wine if it goes flat. You can also use it in cooking (it is a bit sweet, though). ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/5 "2008-02-15T21:24:25Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Champagne is just wine. It’s best when bubbly, but there’s no reason you can’t drink it like a still wine if it goes flat. You can also use it in cooking (it is a bit sweet, though). [/QUOTE] This. Any champagne or sparking wine worth drinking is worth drinking flat as well as long as it hasn’t oxidized to the point of being bat urine. That being said, if you really want to cook with it Google up Champagne Risotto. Delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/6 "2008-02-15T22:32:19Z")
They do make champagne-stoppers specifically for this purpose, if you’re a person who drinks champagne frequently and doesn’t go through the whole bottle. I was given one as a gift and the bubbly would remain bubbly for several days after opening. (I lost it and keep meaning to buy a new one, but then again I only drink champagne on rare occasions, because it loves me considerably less than I love it.) Since you can’t do anything about that now…I like the idea of making a wine spritzer out of it. Add Sprite and/or club soda over ice. If the champagne is “too good” to make a spritzer out of, it will be just as good flat. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/7 "2008-02-15T22:47:33Z")
Salad dressing. That’s about it. Flat champagne is pretty nasty otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/8 "2008-02-15T23:36:27Z")
I made a really great duck sauce by reducing a bottle of champagne down to about a half a cup. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/9 "2008-02-16T02:52:11Z")
Digby scallops - saute in butter ~ 2 min. a side. Throw in 1/2 cup or more of flat Champagne and turn to high heat. It might flame a tiny bit, but it probably won’t. It has nothing to do with flat or fresh, there’s just not enough alcohol in wines to flambé. Pernod is much more highly recommended, but you wanted to use up some leftover. While I’m thinking of it, it would work well in Chicken Véronique as well. (Essentially a white wine, grapes and tarragon reduction) ---
**Author:** ![lunar\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lunar\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lunar_elf)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/10 "2008-02-17T22:19:53Z")
Onion soup is what Mr. Elf makes with the leftovers from New Year’s Eve. /drool ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/11 "2008-02-18T01:34:39Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] I made a really great duck sauce by reducing a bottle of champagne down to about a half a cup. [/QUOTE] Do you mean duck sauce, as in that condiment that I like with my egg rolls, or a sauce for actual duck? Either way, it sounds interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Juliette\_Culture\_Junkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@Juliette\_Culture\_Junkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juliette_Culture_Junkie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/12 "2008-02-18T03:15:27Z")
Champagne chocolate truffles!!! Want recipe? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/13 "2008-02-18T03:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=MissGypsy] Do you mean duck sauce, as in that condiment that I like with my egg rolls, or a sauce for actual duck? Either way, it sounds interesting. [/QUOTE] No, I just mean a sauce for duck meat. I had dusted the duck with curry and roasted it, then reduced a bottle of champagne, and drizzled it on the sliced meat. And orgazzed in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/14 "2008-02-18T03:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] No, I just mean a sauce for duck meat. I had dusted the duck with curry and roasted it, then reduced a bottle of champagne, and drizzled it on the sliced meat. And orgazzed in my mouth. [/QUOTE] I have a bottle of champagne that was a gift, and we don’t drink it, so I may try that. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/15 "2008-02-18T19:28:07Z")
[QUOTE=HelloKitty] I wonder if you could add it to some kind of fruity dessert? Champagne fruit salad sounds kinda interesting. [/QUOTE] I popped in to suggest exactly that - we did that with some leftover sparkling wine once and it was very nice. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-flat-champagne/437789/16 "2008-02-18T20:59:47Z")
If you add a little chunk of dry ice (available at many grocery stores for a dollar a pound and not difficult to handle- wear leather work gloves) it’ll chill it and recarbonate it. I’ve made carbonated iced tea and coffee, re-(and over-)carbonated flat soda, all kinds of things. I wouldn’t swear as to what it will do to the taste, but I suspect it won’t affect it.