Carey Nershi'S Angostura Sugar Cubes For Champagne Cocktails

1. 1

   Combine sugar and bitters in a bowl and stir until liquid is evenly distributed. Use your fingers to pinch the mixture if needed, to make the mixture uniformly pink.

2. 2

   If using molds, press the mixture into molds, packing it down as much as possible. Microwave at 50% power for 20 to 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can let the molds sit out overnight to dry and harden. Once set, pop the cubes out of the mold.

3. 3

   If not using molds, heat the oven to 250u00b0 F and line an oven-safe baking pan with parchment paper. (The cubes pictured were made in a standard 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.)

4. 4

   Pour the sugar onto the parchment paper. Pack the sugar into the base of the pan very tightly with a spatula, meat pounder, or another tool that is stiff and flat. The height should be similar to a commercial sugar cube, around 1.27cm/1/2 inch.

5. 5

   Using a thin knife, score the sugar into a grid of cubes of the size you want, slicing all the way through the layer of sugar. Put the pan in the oven to dry for 1 hour.

6. 6

   Remove the pan of sugar from the oven and let the sugar cubes cool for at least 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Break up the cubes. Pull the sugar cubes out of the pan and break them apart with your hands or something smooth and sturdy like a table knife or bench scraper. If cut properly, they will break fairly easy.

8. 8

   Store the sugar cubes in an airtight container. To serve, put a sugar cube in a coupe glass or Champagne flute and pour Champagne or sparkling wine over. Garnish with a lemon twist if you like.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.