Anatomy of a Classic Cocktail: The Champagne Cocktail

Ring in the New Year with a festive, fizzy drink that puts the bubbly front and center

This old-school cocktail keeps it simple with Champagne poured over a bitters-soaked sugar cube. Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

‘Tis the season for popping a bottle of bubbly, but along with proposing toasts, may we propose a cocktail as well?

You can find dozens of variations for Champagne mimosas, spritzes, fizzes, and punches (or stronger stuff such as the French 75 or a Kir Royale), but often the wine takes the backseat or at least the passenger’s side. Not so with the simple, truth-in-name Champagne Cocktail. While no one can pinpoint with certainty a creator or the exact date, the first instructions in text are from “How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion” by Jerry Thomas, published in 1862.

Start with a Champagne—or other sparkling wine—you like to drink. Jag_cz/Shutterstock

Champagne, as anyone can pedantically tell you, is only legally called Champagne if it’s produced in the French region of the same name and made in a clearly specified manner that dictates the types of grapes, growing conditions, and secondary fermentation method used for the bottle. But why stand on ceremony? Go ahead and swap in cava from Spain, specifically Catalonia. Traditional in its method but made from its own regional grape, it’s fairly close. Italian prosecco is generally a tad sweeter and lighter but any sparkling wine may serve, according to your taste, for sweet versus dry and the intensity of the carbonation.

The sugar cube reinvigorates the bubbles in the wine for a fun presentation. Tatuasha/Shutterstock

In terms of measures, Thomas’s recipe calls for “one bottle to every six large glasses,” and the drink came in a tumbler one-third full of broken ice, with the Champagne filling the rest of the glass. Beyond that, it contained just a half teaspoonful of sugar, one or two dashes of bitters, and a piece of lemon peel. The sugar adds only a bit of sweetness but affects the presentation, reinvigorating the bubbles of the wine.

Garnish with a lemon or orange twist before serving. domnitsky/Shutterstock

Mixing guidance suggests to “shake well and serve,” but anyone who has opened a jostled bottle of joy knows how that ends. A gentle pour is just fine and, with a chilled bottle and glass, the broken ice would only serve to water it down a bit.

Another option: The International Bartenders Association adds Cognac and optional drops of Grand Marnier to the recipe while garnishing it with a maraschino cherry or orange zest. Your call!

Champagne Cocktail

• 3 to 5 ounces chilled Champagne
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/3 ounce Cognac or other brandy (optional)
• A few drops of Grand Marnier (optional)
• 1 sugar cube

Place the cube in a chilled serving glass (a flute or an equivalent) and soak in the drops of bitters. Pour in any optional ingredients here, then top with the Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon or orange zest.