This is the perfect week to try a champagne cocktail. With New Year’s Eve on the horizon, plenty of champagne bottles are going to get popped, even if we are celebrating alone. And while it’s perfectly great to drink bubbly straight, the fizzy stuff is also awesome mixed into a killer and easy-to-make champagne cocktail.
The three cocktails below range from “super-easy” to “easy-enough.” You really don’t need a whole lot in your home bar. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker or mixing jug, a jar with a lid will do the trick in a pinch. Other than that, we’d argue not to skimp on the champagne. Good brut (dry) champagne is the order of the day when you’re mixing up champagne cocktails. That being said, if you want to use a local sparkling white wine, go for it!
Let’s dive in and get shaking!
Pick Me Up
The Drink:
This is a new classic devised by Stephan Weber at Berlin’s iconic Victoria Bar (where I cut my cocktail teeth). The drink is a take on the classic Champagne cocktail (more on that here) which adds a fruity dimension to the devilishly simple drink.
While cognac is the go-to to make this drink shine, you can definitely substitute a nice brandy if you have that on hand. As for the champagne in play, we always used Louis Roederer Brut.
Ingredients:
- 1.5-oz. cognac
- 1 barspoon Grenadine
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitter
- Champagne
- Lemon peel
- Ice
Tools:
- Mixing jug
- Strainer
- Champagne flute
- Barspoon
- Fruit peeler/pairing knife
Method:
- Grab a mixing jug (or jar) and add in the cognac, Grenadine, and bitters with plenty of ice.
- Stir until the outside of the jug is ice-cold to touch (about 20 to 30 seconds).
- Strain the mix into a pre-chilled flute.
- Top with champagne 3/4 of the way to the top of the flute.
- Spritz the top of the glass with the lemon oils and discard the lemon peel.
- Serve.
Kir Royale
The Drink:
This is a classic that feels like something Frasier Crane would have ordered in the 1980s on Cheers. It’s time for this simple champagne cocktail to make a comeback. It’s really, really easy to make since you can build it in the glass, and oh my is it tasty AF.
Ingredients:
- 1.5-oz. Creme de Casis
- Champagne
- Lemon Peel
Tools:
- Champagne flute
- Fruit peeler/pairing knife
Method:
- Pre-chill your flute.
- Add the Creme de Casis to the flute.
- Top with champagne to the top of the glass.
- Spritz with lemon oils and drop in the lemon peel.
- Serve.
French 75
The Drink:
This is the most complicated cocktail on the list but still a pretty straightforward shaker. The crux of this cocktail is the gin, lemon, and sugar base. You really need to emulsify those ingredients to create a foundation for the champagne to build upon.
Lastly, don’t skimp on the champagne. Top this with a quality Bollinger or Moët & Chandon that has a nice dryness to counterpoint the tart and sweetness of the base.
Ingredients:
- 1.5-oz. gin
- 1-oz. fresh lemon juice*
- 0.5-oz. simple syrup
- Champagne
- Lemon peel
*It’s best to squeeze your own, run that through a sieve to remove the pulp, and then pre-chill overnight.
Tools:
- Collins glass or pewter mug (you can also use a champagne flute)
- Shaker
- Strainer
- Jigger
- Fruit peel/pairing knife
Method:
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds until the shaker has a thick layer of frost.
- Strain the cocktail into a pre-chilled glass and top with fresh ice.
- Top with champagne all the way to the top.
- Spritz lemon oils over the drink and rub the peel around the glass then drop in the drink.
- Serve.
