Champagne Cocktail

Whether it’s New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, or a random Tuesday on the couch, sipping a Champagne cocktail always feels celebratory. The long legacy of the classic version dates at least as far back as the Bartender’s Guide, an 1862 book by industry icon Jerry Thomas that included this drink. With just three ingredients (plus a citrusy garnish), its festive fizz is an understated answer to cognac- (or gin-) and liqueur-spiked sparkling cocktails like the French 75 or Kir Royale.

While the sugar and aromatic bitters augment some of the wine’s flavor, you can taste the bubbly in this old-fashioned Champagne cocktail more than in, say, a bellini, mimosa, or Aperol spritz. But save your best Champagne for sipping straight and opt for a middle-of-the-road bottle of Champagne when mixing this drink. 

If you don’t have sugar cubes on hand, swap in 1 tsp. granulated sugar (raw sugar is particularly nice). Otherwise, this is a rare classic cocktail in which experimentation is less ideal because each ingredient is crucial to the integrity of the drink. Could you make a satisfying aperitif using simple syrup instead of sugar, lemon juice or lime juice instead of a lemon twist, or prosecco or cava instead of brut Champagne? Sure. But purists would argue that any of those substitutions means your version no longer qualifies as a classic Champagne cocktail recipe. That might not matter to you in the slightest—it’s the sort of debate best settled over another round of something bright and bubbly.

This recipe was adapted for style from ‘101 Champagne Cocktails’ by Kim Haasarud. Buy the full book on Amazon.