BEHIND BARS

Champagne hangover

Some years back, I really got into finer champagnes. As the years went on and my hangovers got progressively worse, I opted to stick with my standard vodka and sodas.

However, this past weekend, my friend, Ryan, and I were at dinner and he made a comment about how much he enjoyed champagne. So I decided to try a bottle.

We finished dinner and went over to High Cotton at 199 East Bay St., and I opted for the Laurent Perrier Rose. For those who do not know about rose champagnes, this one is widely consumed. It has the perfect blend of fruit forward and tartness.

So Friday rolled around and it was my dear friend, Ashley's, birthday. We ended up at Torch Lounge at 545 King St. and decided to drink even more champagne. That evening, we opted for the Veuve Yellow label. It was a great bottle for the money and is decidedly one of my favorites.

Saturday night, Ryan and I had to continue the quest for more champagne, and we stopped in to see Mickey Baskt, the general manager at Charleston Grill, 224 King St. We were pleasantly surprised to see Quentin Baxter and his trio playing that evening. On this occasion, we ended up ordering some appetizers, albeit not on my diet plan, but the chicken and dumplings along with their fried mac and cheese side. Both were phenomenal. To add to the craziness, we ordered a bottle of the Veuve Rose. Only in Charleston can you enjoy chicken and dumplings with champagne and not be looked at like you're crazy.

The story ends where it began. I am off the champagne kick thanks to the three days of headaches, but boy it was fun while it lasted. Thanks, Ryan!

New infusions

Skyy vodka has introduced a new line of all-natural infused vodkas. They are available at liquor stores. One of the bigger issues these days with flavored vodkas is that they are flavored artificially, which gives vodka that extra not-so-enjoyable sweet taste. This is clearly not the case with Skyy. The flavors available immediately are Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Cherry, Citrus and Grape.

Finding Burns Alley

One of the more enchanting parts to living in the Lowcountry is the fact that not every bar you go to is on the beaten path. Burns Alley, 354 B King St., is one of those bars. It offers pint night every Wednesday and has a great happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. during the week. You can find $2 house drinks and $1 off all beers. Log on to www.burnsalley.com.

Healthy cocktails

This week's healthy cocktail comes to us from the Skyy infusion library. It is a re-creation of a grape soda. Take 1 ounce of Grape Infused Skyy Vodka and pour over the rocks. Finish with club soda. This is a nice option for someone who enjoys his soft drinks.

If you have a promotion or a recipe that you would like to share, drop a line at lroberts@postandcourier.com.