Night and Day Cocktail

This night and day cocktail is a classic drink and the perfect aperitif. The ingredients balance each other nicely for a smooth and delicious experience.

Other than its great taste, one of the things I most love about this cocktail is that no one flavor overpowers the other. You taste it and think, “Hm, I’m detecting flavors, but I can’t quite name them.”

I was intrigued by this drink’s name: ‘Night and Day.’ So much so, that I looked up its origins. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t find out how it came about. (If you happen to know, please leave me a comment.)

I’m assuming it got its name because of its appearance. In most photos I’ve seen it has a dark top and a light bottom.

My own version of this drink calls for less Campari than usual. So mine appears lighter than what I’ve seen in other photos.

And you know what? I think it’s pretty. Though perhaps I should call it ‘Dusk and Day’!

Helpful tips

• As you add ingredients to the glass of crushed ice, the ice will melt somewhat so don’t be afraid to add more.
• Use the BEST ingredients you can afford: premium ingredients make a more delicious drink, especially when the cocktail is 100% alcohol.
• Use your preferred brand of cognac (I recommend Courvoisier) but definitely use Grand Marnier (over triple sec) for the orange flavor.
• This recipe doesn’t call for a lot of champagne, so unless you’re ready to drink it soon after opening, buy it in the small bottles whenever you can find them.
• You don’t need to buy premium champagne for this cocktail.

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How to make the night and day cocktail

Pre-step

Get white wine glasses or large champagne flutes.

After measuring out the ingredients, pour into the glasses.

Step one

Gather the ingredients: Cognac, Grand Marnier, Campari and champagne.

Step two

Fill glasses with crushed ice and measure 2 ounces of cognac, 1 ounce per cocktail.

Step three

Measure 1 ounce of Grand Marnier, 1/2 ounce per cocktail.

Step four

Measure 1/4 ounce Campari, 1/8 ounce per cocktail.

Step five

Add some more ice to your glass, if it pleases you.

Step six

Fill glass with champagne. It usually ends up to be 2 – 3 ounces each.

The glass is super frosty! It looks soooooo good!!

Let’s look at the vertical view of the night and day cocktail.

All that is left is to pick it up, place it to my lips and sip!

And I do.

I hope you enjoyed this night and day cocktail recipe.

Other fun cocktails

• Dark and stormy
• Planter’s punch
• Moscow mule
• Pomegranate cosmo

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Originally published May of 2016.