Classic Champagne Cocktail Recipe
Learn how to make a Classic Champagne Cocktail with just 3 ingredients! A bottle of champagne is jazzed up with a few splashes of bitters and a sugar cube in each glass. I love serving this simple champagne cocktail to last-minute guests. It’s perfect for making any moment feel fancy!
This easy champagne cocktail recipe takes less than a minute to make! Forget that they look and taste amazing, they also couldn’t be easier!
Sweet, sophisticated and with a little something extra from the addition of cocktail bitters this champagne cocktail is about to become your new favorite classic serve.
What is a champagne cocktail?
Put simply, a champagne cocktail recipe consists of champagne with a sugar cube and bitters. Some traditional recipes also contain Cognac, but have you tasted how strong one of those is?!
I like to keep things simple by making these easy 3-ingredient champagne cocktails whenever I’m feeling fancy. It’s one of my favorite wine cocktails to make.
Related: Champagne Cocktails for Christmas (or anytime!)
A Champagne Cocktail has a slightly sophisticated flavor from the cocktail bitters, but still is a little sweeter than a regular glass of champagne from the sugar.
These cocktails are super easy to drink and feel elevated and classic – but it is still SO simple to make!
Ingredients
To make this simplified version of a classic champagne cocktail you will need:
Use white sugar cubes instead of brown, as they add more of a caramel flavor to drinks – sometimes nice, but not what we want here!
Make sure you’re using a nice bottle of champagne or Cava (which is the most similar in production to champagne) or another natural sparkling wine (like, from California).
Some prosecco is more carbonated than others which means you may not know what you’re buying.
As you will be able to really taste the wine, you’ll want a decent bottle but nothing super premium – you are adding sugar and bitters to it after all!
I like to use pink champagne in drinks for the pretty color, but for a less sweet drink, Brut champagne would be a better choice.
Obviously a classic champagne cocktail uses champagne, but I don’t mind a variation.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and full recipe.
Directions
Step 1
Drop a sugar cube into the bottom of a champagne flute.
Step 2
Soak it with the bitters. (1-3 drops is perfect).
*Bitters come out FAST so take care and maybe practice on a plate or empty glass first.
Step 3
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a piece of lemon peel or an edible flower. Enjoy!
Variations
- Use flavored bitters – Angostura bitters are traditional in a champagne cocktail, and once you have a bottle you can use them to fancy up so many cocktails. However, feel free to experiment with different types of bitters in this drink if you have another favorite. I think lavender bitters would be fantastic here!
- Add Cognac – A lot of classic recipes for a Champagne cocktail contain Cognac, but I prefer to just use sugar and a generous amount of bitters to fancy up my champagne, but you can add a splash of cognac or brandy if you wish.
- Add Triple Sec – To make a Chicago Cocktail, add equal parts Triple Sec alongside the Cognac into your drink – for best results, both should be added chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
The point of the sugar is yes to add a little sweetness to the drink, but is also actually to make the champagne fizz more so it tastes more bubbly – so if you have a little sugar left in the bottom of your glass don’t worry about it!
Depending on the size of your glasses one bottle of champagne should yield about 6-8 drinks so this recipe is great for parties! If you don’t want to open a whole bottle buy a miniature or can from the grocery store.
More easy champagne cocktail recipes
- Strawberry Lemonade Champagne Float Recipe
- Bourbon Champagne Cocktail Recipe with Mint
- Peach Champagne Cocktail Recipe with Ginger
- Blackberry Champagne Cocktail Recipe with Vodka
- Easy Champagne Punch Recipe with Pineapple and Orange Juice
- Lavender French 75 Recipe
- Strawberry Elderflower Prosecco Cocktail
- St. Germain Champagne Cocktail
- Fireball Mimosa Recipe
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A Classic Champagne Cocktail in less than a minute!
Ingredients
- 1 sugar cube
- 5 drops bitters
- 5 oz champagne chilled
Instructions
- Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute.
- Soak the sugar cube with the bitters.
- Top up the class with the champagne.
- Garnish the drink with a piece of lemon or orange peel, if liked, or an edible flower.
Notes
- Use flavored bitters – feel free to experiment with different types of bitters in this drink if you have another favorite. I think lavender bitters would be fantastic here!
- Add Cognac – A lot of classic recipes for a Champagne cocktail contain Cognac – you can add a splash of cognac or brandy if you wish.
- Add Triple Sec – To make a Chicago Cocktail, add equal parts Triple Sec alongside the Cognac into your drink.
