Champagne has a special status among the French wines, but while drinking bubbles on its own is refreshingly effervescent, fruity and drinkable, sparkling wine from the Champagne region can also be used in some creative and delicious cocktails. So, here is a list of the best champagne cocktails out there. And a bit of background on each…
Kir Royale
Named after a hero of the French resistance and former mayor of the French town of Dijon, the Kir Cocktail, or Kir Aperitif, is the simple blending of crème de cassis and white wine. The Kir Royale, however, is the champagne version. But how do you make it?
- Take around 15ml of crème de cassis and pour into a champagne flute
- Top it up with Brut Champagne
- Garnish with summer berries, to create a light and fruity summer drink
The ultimate in sophisticated champagne cocktails.
Champagne Cocktail
With a history extending back to the mid-nineteenth century, the classic Champagne Cocktail is perhaps one of the oldest cocktails.
- Place a brown sugar cube in a champagne flute
- Soak with two or three dashes of Angostura bitters
- Adding 25ml cognac
- Top with chilled champagne
A sugar cube, rather than loose sugar, must be used to ensure a slow dissolve, and a garnish can be made with an orange twist. The original and best champagne cocktail.
Death in the Afternoon
One of the many champagne cocktail recipes linked with Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon was the iconic writer’s contribution to a 1935 cocktail compendium.
- Place 15ml lemon juice, 7.5ml absinthe and 7.5ml sugar syrup in a shaker
- Add ice and shake
- Strain into a champagne flute
- Top with ice champagne
The slightly risky use of absinthe brings a kick to the champagne cocktail; that explains why Hemingway wrote a book of the same name about bullfighting.
Mimosa
Its name taken from a flowering plant, this is a simple cocktail that was invented in the 1920s, and is very similar to the Buck’s Fizz, which has a higher ratio of champagne.
- Combine 90ml champagne and 90ml fresh orange juice (or blood orange juice) in a champagne flute
- Garnish with an orange twist
Variations include the Grand Mimosa, which adds orange liqueur for some extra strength. A light drink that is popular for weddings and other daytime occasions – these champagne cocktails are also great at brunch.
Champagne Julep
A mint julep that is more Paris than Kentucky, the Champagne Julep is not as strong as the original, but is a minty, fruity and sparkling champagne cocktail. Here’s the recipe:
- Take eight fresh mint leaves
- Press gently with a muddler
- Add 15ml cognac, 7.5ml sugar syrup and a dash of angostura bitters
- Shake with ice before adding 90ml champagne
- Shake twice
- Strain into a julep cup filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a sprig of mint
French 75
A classic cocktail that traces its origins back to Paris in the First World War and was also featured in the film Casablanca, the French 75 still hasn’t lost its crisp and citrus appeal.
- Take 15ml fresh lemon juice
- Add 15ml sugar syrup and 30ml dry gin
- Shake with ice and strain into a champagne flute
- Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist
Jayne Mansfield
Named after the Hollywood star perhaps due to her love of the colour pink, this cocktail is a rose-hued drink perfect for berry lovers.
- Crush 4 fresh strawberries with a muddler in a shaker
- Add 30ml light rum, 30ml strawberry liqueur and 7.5ml sugar syrup.
- Shake with ice
- Strained into a champagne flute
- Top with champagne or sparkling wine
Use a strawberry for a pink garnish that the lady herself would have approved of.
Porn Star Martini
A cocktail from the twenty-first century, this drink dates back to the Atlantic Bar, London in 2002, but has since found widespread popularity for its sweet and fruity taste.
- Start with 60ml vodka
- Add 15ml passion fruit liqueur, and 5ml vanilla sugar syrup
- Combine with 15ml fresh lime juice
- Shaken with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass
- Add 60ml of champagne to the cocktail glass (or serve on the side in a separate glass).
Jalisco Flower
Champagne (or sparkling wine) and tequila may not be an obvious accompaniment, but surprising combinations can have the most pleasing results.
- Take 15ml reposado tequila
- Add 22.5ml elderflower liqueur and 30ml fresh grapefruit juice
- Shaken with ice and strain into a chilled flute glass
- Fill with crisp champagne.
Garnish with grapefruit peel or lemon twist for a fruity and complex cocktail.
Royal Mojito
We all know that classic mojitos combine a minty coolness and a citrus tanginess with the sweetness of rum and sugar, but have you ever tried the deluxe version?
- Start by muddling 10-12 mint leaves in a collins glass
- Add 60ml white rum, 22.5ml fresh lime juice and 7.5ml sugar syrup
- Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir with a bar spoon
- Now top up with champagne and garnish with a mint sprig
This is a classic mojito recipe made with champagne instead of soda water for that royal difference.
Bellini
If you are in the mood for a classic drink, try this fruity tipple that was devised in Harry’s Bar, Venice in 1948. This cocktail can made with Prosecco or champers, plus peach purée and peach liqueur and is a lovely pale pinky-orange.
- Add 10ml of peach puree into your champagne glass
- Add 10ml of De Kuyper Peachtree Liqueur
- Then top up with bubbles.
And that’s it. A classic combination.
Take a look at more fruity summer cocktails here.
Elderflower Fizz
A simple yet elegant champagne cocktail, that will most certainly tickle your taste buds. Here’s how to do it:
- Pour 10ml of elderflower cordial into a champagne flute
- Add 30ml of dry gin, a splash of lemon juice and a few raspberries.
- Top with chilled brut champagne or sparkling wine
Black Velvet
You might think champagne flutes filled with Guinness aren’t the height of sophistication, but you’d be wrong. In fact this cocktail was supposedly created in 1861 to honour the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. An unlikely pairing, the champers and Guinness just works:
- Fill a flute with Guinness up to halfway
- Top with champagne
- Use a spoon to perfect the layered drink
Who said champagne cocktails couldn’t be fizzy AND creamy?
Discover more cocktail recipes in our deep dive: what is a cocktail?
And to learn the art of cocktail-making, try our comprehensive course at European Bartender School.
