If Champagne is the celebration drink par excellence, then a Champagne cocktail dials those celebrations up to 11. There’s arguably nothing better than offering your guests a sparkling cocktail in an elegant flute or coupe – or treating yourself to one when the guests have gone home.
The good news is that many Champagne cocktails are super-easy to make, and involve little more than pouring your ingredients into a glass. The Classic Champagne Cocktail (see below) is a case in point: if you can open a bottle, you can make this drink. No shaker required; simply drop a bitters-soaked sugar cube into the bottom of your glass, pour in Cognac and top with Champagne.
Classic mixes are a safe bet when it comes to creating crowd-pleasing drinks. But it’s also simple to put a festive twist on well-known recipes. Why not swap the peach purée of a summery Bellini for Christmassy cranberry for example?
Top tips for making Champagne cocktails
While it’s surprisingly easy to create drinks with wow factor at home, there are a few useful tips that will help you to make cocktails like a pro.
First of all, chill your glassware. Pop your Champagne flutes or coupes into the freezer for a couple of hours and you’ll get an ice-cold, frosted glass that not only looks the part but helps to keep your drink at a perfect temperature.
Second, don’t use vintage Champagne or exclusive cuvées in sparkling cocktails. The complexity of these prestige Champagnes will be
