Most cocktails aren't made with breakfast in mind, save the Bloody Mary or brandy eggnog hangover cures. The Buck's Fizz, however, tastes best with a clear head and a clean palate: a simple yet uplifting start to brunch.
It's so easy to make that most people just slosh some orange juice and champagne into a glass without thinking but, as with all cocktails, getting the proportions right is the essence of the perfect Buck's Fizz.
Pat McGarry, a barman at the Buck's Club in London, first poured the drink in 1921. His version was one-third orange juice to two-thirds champagne, with a dash of grenadine to add complexity to the taste. Soon after, the Mimosa, another version of the cocktail that reversed the quantities, was created at the Ritz hotel in Paris in 1923 by an unknown barman. You can rely on the French to put their own twist on things, but surprisingly the Mimosa was imported by the United States and became the accepted norm.
Champagne cocktails are a speciality at Boca, a wine and tapas bar in Central, and their Buck's Fizz would no doubt meet with McGarry's approval. Boca also uses champagne instead of soda to transform the humble Mojito into one worthy of the king, or at least a revolutionary leader.
The Buck's Fizz and Luxury Mojito are available for $125 each at Boca, 65 Peel Street, Central, tel: 2548 1717.
Buck's Fizz (above)