Cook’s seems to be everywhere, and even better, it’s cheap. This means that it can be a popular choice for unlimited champagne brunches or to serve to a crowd. Before we get started though, a few reminders about New Year’s Eve safety, presented by the Cook’s Extra Dry California Champagne bottle.
- DO NOT, under any circumstances, point a bottle of sparkling wine at anything you do not intend to destroy. There can be up to 150 PSI of pressure in a bottle. An unleashed cork could break any number of things in your house, or as Ralphie’s mom would say, could put your eye out!
- DO NOT, try to open this with a corkscrew or wine opener. See point #1, and consider that same eye with a corkscrew.
- DO, have lots of fun and enjoy the occasion after opening!
Since it’s only a few hours to midnight, you might be thinking of using Cook’s Extra Dry California Champagne as a last ditch effort, but is it worth it?
Sight: Pale yellow with a massive number of bubbles
Smell: My first thought was of cheap, light beer. Coors light or heineken perhaps… Some very green pears or apples might be hiding in there, but it does smell an awful lot like a frat party.
Sip: A hint of sweetness opens up, before collapsing under a very green set of apples and pears. There is a lot of carbonation from the bubbles, but the flavor is hard to distinguish. On the tip of the tongue there are notes of peach and pear, but in the back, it gets a little bit lemon pith and pear skin like.
Savor: The aftertaste is kind of like keystone light… or perhaps pear skins.
Based on how Cook’s Extra Dry California Champagne smells, you might enjoy this if you enjoy Heineken. The beer like smells could imply there’s a taint of sulfur, but based on discussions with others, this is pretty normal for Cook’s. If you can’t find anything, and I mean anything else, then Cook’s Extra Dry California Champagne might be an option for a sparkling glass of wine. That said, I’d encourage you to pick up almost anything else, even Welch’s.
Verdict: Beer
Price: $7
Madera, CA