Easy Champagne Cocktails to Make in Minutes

Holiday celebrations often call for a glass of Champagne. But while everyone loves a glass of bubbly, Champagne can also make a fantastic cocktail base when entertaining family, friends and neighbors.

The best part about Champagne cocktails? Their simplicity. They can be mixed up in minutes without advanced equipment or training. Pop the cork, mix and enjoy!

Discover our favorite Champagne cocktails for the holiday season and let the festive inspiration flow.

7 Classic Champagne Cocktail Recipes

These Champagne cocktail recipes are virtually effortless and ideal for home bartenders of any skill level.

Serving these tasty tipples at gatherings is a great way to kick off the holidays, but we think you’ll agree that Champagne-based cocktails are also brilliant to sip all year round.

Need some bubbles on hand to make your classic Champagne cocktails? Explore our range of Champagne and sparkling wine.

1. Classic Champagne Cocktail

With origins dating back to the early days of cocktails (likely pre-1860s), the classic Champagne cocktail has never gone out of style. It's easy to see why. This elegant cocktail is made in the glass—no shaker required. The moment the Champagne hits the sugar cube nestled at the base of the glass, it creates the signature look—a captivating, continuous stream of bubbles that race from the bottom to the surface.

Ingredients

1 sugar cube
1 fl oz of brandy (or preferably, cognac)
Champagne, chilled
2-4 dashes of Angostura bitters
Orange peel to garnish

Method

Place a sugar cube in a flute glass, then add a few dashes of the bitters. Pour the brandy or cognac into the flute, then carefully top with the chilled Champagne. Gently squeeze the orange peel to release the oils and drop it into the glass. We recommend a Brut Champagne for this lovely cocktail.

2. Mimosa Cocktail

The Mimosa cocktail, a refreshing mix of equal parts Champagne and orange juice, is believed to have been invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in the 1920s. It was named after the bright yellow mimosa flowers common in Europe. Despite its French origin, the Mimosa has become a classic in the American cocktail scene. It’s a staple at American brunch gatherings, bridal showers, weddings and other celebrations.

Ingredients

3.5 fl oz freshly squeezed orange juice, chilled
3.5 fl oz Champagne, chilled
Orange peel garnish, optional

Method

Chill your Champagne and orange juice before serving. Fill a flute glass halfway with fresh orange juice, then slowly top it with chilled Champagne until the foaming bubbles reach the rim. Allow the bubbles to deflate slightly before garnishing with a twist of orange peel (optional) and serving.

3. Champagne Punch

If you’re serving guests Champagne en masse during the holidays, why not make life easier for yourself and mix a bowl of Champagne Punch? A bowl of punch is an easy way to keep your guests’ thirst quenched and allow you to focus on hosting. A Champagne Punch is entirely customizable, so you can make it as strong or as fruity as you like, but the basic ingredients for this Champagne cocktail are:

1 bottle of Champagne, chilled
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
1 cup of liquor—white rum, spiced rum or gin are popular festive choices
5 cups of juice—apple, cranberry or orange is a combination fit for the holidays
Sliced fruits and cranberries to garnish

This recipe serves 8-10 people.

Method

Add all the ingredients into a large punch bowl, garnishing with the sliced fruits and cranberries. Provide a ladle and punch glasses for serve-it-yourself perfection.

4. French 75 Cocktail

Looking for a Champagne cocktail that’s elegant and perfect to enjoy with company? Try a French 75.

This timeless cocktail has it all—the zesty taste of freshly squeezed lemon juice, the bright botanicals of gin, and the festive fizz of Brut Champagne, all lightly sweetened with a dash of simple syrup.

This cocktail, also called the Soixante Quinze, has a mysterious history with no confirmed creator. Harry MacElhrone, the famous bartender from Harry’s New York Bar, has claimed he invented it, but nothing has been proven. What’s certain? It debuted during World War I, and one popular theory is that it takes its name from the 75mm Howitzer field gun, as both can really pack a punch. This upscale cocktail is for those who love gin and Champagne and don’t want to choose between them.

Ingredients

1.5 fl oz dry gin
Champagne, chilled
0.75 fl oz lemon juice
0.75 fl oz simple syrup
Twist of lemon peel
Ice

Method

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup. Shake well—until the outside of your shaker is covered in condensation. Then, strain your shaken combination into a chilled flute glass. Slowly top with chilled Champagne and add a lemon twist garnish.

5. Kir Royale

A jewel-toned Kir Royale adds a touch of elegance to any gathering. Traditionally, this eye-catching cocktail is a delightful pairing of Brut Champagne and crème de cassis, a blackcurrant French liquor. If crème de cassis isn’t readily available, Chambord, a raspberry liquor, is a good substitute.

Ingredients

Champagne, chilled
1/2 ounce crème de cassis (or Chambord)
1-3 fresh or frozen blackberries

Method

This is arguably one of the easiest Champagne cocktails to make. Carefully pour your crème de cassis into the bottom of a flute glass, then slowly top with the chilled Champagne. Garnish with fresh or frozen blackberries. Serve this simple cocktail with a cheese board featuring creamy Brie and Camembert.

6. Death in the Afternoon

Celebrated American author and noted drinks enthusiast Ernest Hemingway is credited with inventing the cocktail “Death in the Afternoon,” a name borrowed from his 1932 non-fiction book.

Hemingway reportedly concocted the drink at the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris during the 1920s. The cocktail is a rather unusual but intriguing combination of absinthe and Champagne.

Hemingway’s instructions for making a Death in the Afternoon are straightforward: “Pour one jigger Absinthe into a champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.”

Of course, feel free to ignore Hemingway’s recommended dose!

The cloudiness in the cocktail Death in the Afternoon results from a chemical reaction known as the “ouzo effect.” When the Champagne is added to the absinthe, it dilutes the alcohol content. The aromatic compounds in the absinthe—more soluble in alcohol—become less soluble in this diluted state. As a result, these compounds cluster together and become visible to the naked eye, causing the drink to turn cloudy or milky—a phenomenon known as louching.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

1.5 ounces absinthe
4.5 ounces chilled Champagne

Method

Pour the absinthe into a flute or coupe, then top slowly with the Champagne.

7. Black Velvet Cocktail

Champagne and stout may seem like an unlikely pairing. Still, one taste of a Black Velvet cocktail will reveal how harmoniously the bitter, chocolatey notes of stout meld with the effervescence of Champagne.

This cocktail dates back to the Victorian era and was served in the UK after the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. Nowadays, this unusual combination of Champagne and stout makes it a novelty for many American drinkers, and it’s sometimes served at themed parties like St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

With just two ingredients, crafting a Black Velvet is incredibly straightforward. However, the success of this delightful Champagne cocktail lies in the delicate pouring. Your finished Black Velvet should showcase a dark stout foundation crowned by a layer of golden sparkling wine, all topped off with a frothy head.

Ingredients

1 part Champagne
1 part Guinness or other stout

Method

Slowly pour Guinness or your selected stout to the halfway point in your flute. Top with chilled Champagne, pouring it over the back of a spoon into the glass. This gives the cocktail its signature foamy head. If the two mix while you pour, don’t worry—your cocktail will still taste delicious.

Alternatives to Champagne

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the iconic French bubbly, there are plenty of other equally delicious, more wallet-friendly sparkling wine options.

If you’re hosting a large crowd during the holiday season, sparkling alternatives like French Crémant or Spanish Cava are excellent choices—both are made in the same way as Champagne, and you’d be hard-pressed to notice them standing in a Kir Royal or French 75. A slightly sweeter Italian sparkling wine, such as Prosecco or Moscato d’Asti, with its aromatic characters and subtle hints of sweetness, can add a delightful twist to Champagne cocktails, especially a Mimosa.

But you don’t have to stick to only white sparkling wines during the festive season—why not try a sparkling rosé for more complex flavors and added color?

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Easy Champagne Cocktails to Make in Minutes

7 Classic Champagne Cocktail Recipes

1. Classic Champagne Cocktail

2. Mimosa Cocktail

3. Champagne Punch

4. French 75 Cocktail

5. Kir Royale

6. Death in the Afternoon

7. Black Velvet Cocktail

Alternatives to Champagne

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