THE ‘Falcon Fizz Friday’ offer will give those local to and visiting the Bude area a chance to relax at the end of the week with a half price champagne offer.

Available at The Falcon Hotel, Bude every Friday the offer will see reduced prices on ‘Fizz’ along with the two fizzes; a French Cremant, using the champagne-method, from Alsace, France, and a Prosecco from Italy.

To kick off the start of this offer, local singer, Gerri Waite, will sing live some favourite songs on the Coachman’s Bar patio.

Rupert Brendon, owner of the Falcon Hotel, said: “They said I was crazy. I just love champagne, particularly at the end of a hard week, so I have put in place a TGIF Happy Hour with French champagne at half price, 5pm to 7pm, starting June 3. I might just take my tie off!”

Each of the sparkling wines on offer can be used as the base of six new cocktails, such as the ‘Kir Royale’, with a splash of crème de cassis, or a ‘Bellini’, with a splash of peach schnapps.

Perhaps the most retro cocktail to be offered at The Falcon Hotel will be a ‘Black Velvet’.

This cocktail was invented in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort. It is made with champagne, or any sparkling wine, and equal parts of Guinness.

Rupert said that he hopes the half price offer doesn’t trigger his own demise!

The ‘Falcon Fizz Friday’ will offer four different nibbles on small plates and on the back of the menu there will be ten of the wittiest quotes about Champagne.

Probably the one most reproduced and well-known quote came from Madame Lilly Bollinger (1884-1977), one of the ‘grand dames’ of French Champagne.

She once said: “I drink it when I am happy, and drink it when I am sad. I drink it when I am alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it when I am not hungry and drink it if I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I am thirsty.”