Why champagne was the drink of choice in Bridgerton
Use this fact to impress your friends…
There’s something about period dramas like Bridgerton that’s just so addictive, isn’t there? From glamorous gowns and dishy dukes (yep, we know who comes to mind from the Netflix show) to society balls and champagne toasts… it certainly provides the escapism we all need right now. But while we live vicariously through small-screen parties, have you wondered why champagne became synonymous with luxury? Turns out, there’s an interesting history, and the British set a certain trend…
Francoise Peretti, UK spokesperson for the Champagne industry, explained: “French Kings were coronated in Reims Cathedral, in Champagne. Champagne wines are said to have flowed freely at the coronation banquets and it became the practice to any royal visitors to the region. As such, it became the coronation drink in France and subsequently fashionable throughout the royal courts of Europe.”
The royals love a glass of bubbles – and it’s not surprising…
By the 19th Century, champagne was at royal weddings and events of the traditional Season, as portrayed in Bridgerton, the annual period where members of a social elite of society resided in London for the summer. In 1806, the Prince Regent ordered 2,000 bottles of vintage champagne – now that’s a party we’d like to be invited to – making it a firm favourite of the English court under the Regency. So from the French royal courts to our favourite Netflix show two centuries on – what a journey!
So how did the British embrace the bubbles? Francoise has shared a fact for your first post-lockdown party, when someone asks why ‘Brut’ is usually written on the bottle: “Before the 19th century Champagne was a very sweet wine and the British were the first to request a drier style of wine. The “goût anglais” (British taste), which is similar to that drunk nowadays as a Brut, had 0.5% measure of sugar, whereas the French measure was much higher at 8%.” Well, there you have it!
Washing your hair with champagne- A trend to know about
Alcohol should be for drinking, right? Not where your hair is concerned. Catherine Zeta-Jones is said to swear by washing her hair with beer (it adds shine, she says) and both gin and vodka are lauded for making hair ridiculously smooth – some even say these spirits help your hair to grow too. The latest tipple to add to your bathroom shelf? Champagne.
Instagram star Madina Shrienzada has shared a video of herself washing her hair with a bottle of champagne, saying it gives her hair an “extra little vamp of shine” and tames frizz too. In a step-by-step tutorial Madina pours the bubbles over the ends of her the lengths of her hair and dips the ends into a bowl of champagne. She then wrings the alcohol out of her hair and post-champagne-dipping, her hair is insanely shiny and smooth. Madina gives the hair hack an 8/10 and says it’s a “fun little way of doing this on a girl’s night.”
It might seem a tad Upper East Side Gossip Girl, but there could be some truth to it. Champagne is becoming a common ingredient in many haircare lines; Cuvee Beauty blends champagne with white truffle and skincare-grade ingredients for healthy, conditioned hair while the Alterna Ten Perfect Blend range lists champagne as one of its key ingredients. And if you’re really feeling yourself, there’s even the label.m Diamond Dust range, which includes pearl dust and champagne with micro-fine diamond dust too.
Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland once wrote that you should rinse “your blonde child’s hair in dead champagne to keep it gold, as they do in France” and legendary supermodel Christie Brinkley pours leftover champagne to keep her hair shiny. Leftover champagne might be a rare occurrence for us but wanting swishy, Victoria’s Secret model hair? We could be persuaded to save a drop or two…
Jay Z’s D’USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition Grande Champagne Cognac
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