Classic Champagne Cocktail

By Rebekah Peppler

Updated June 10, 2024

Classic Champagne Cocktail
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Rating
4(483)
Comments
Read comments

This minimalist drink of sugar that’s been soaked in bitters and topped with Champagne was first mentioned in Jerry Thomas’s book 1862 “How to Mix Drinks.” It’s both festive and resplendent with bubbles as written, but there’s also room to customize: Split the amount of Angostura bitters with a lesser-used bitter (grapefruit, celery, orange, persimmon, for example) from your bar. Trade granulated or Demerara sugar for the sugar cube: The drink’s flavor will remain the same, lacking only in the drama of the cube bubbling to its demise at the base of the glass. Finally, use Champagne if you’re on a champagne budget, and dry sparkling wine if you’re not.

Featured in: Toast to 2022 With More Than Just Champagne

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • 1sugar cube (or 1 teaspoon granulated or Demerara sugar)
  • 4 to 6dashes Angostura bitters 
  • 4 to 5ounces Champagne or dry sparkling wine
  • Long, thin lemon twist
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

124 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 7 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add the sugar cube to a chilled champagne glass. Douse with bitters, then top slowly with Champagne. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
483 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Roberto

You don’t need a high end champagne with this. In fact Cook’s makes a great champagne cocktail. My approach after decades of drinking this is to pour the champagne first, in a little glass saucer I drench the cube with bitters then drop it into the drink. Careful the bitters will will stain a non vitreous surface, also I found that pouring champagne onto the sugar cube gave the champagne a huge foamy head

Russell Cherrin ,Perth,Western Australia.

I always had a nip of good brandy to my champagne cocktail.

Dick

I've found a few "tricks" to making a delicious Champagne Cocktail over the years. Use a coup, not a flute. The sugar cube acts as a surface that bubbles form on, and a coup will significantly reduce the "head." Champagne was sweeter in the 19th century, use a demi sec champagne, sweet prosecco or add about a half bar spoon of simple. The sweetness it really opens up the flavors of whatever bitters you're using.

Jill S

This is my favourite cocktail of all time! Don't mess with the recipe. Variations are fine, I'm sure, but why experiment when you have simple perfection already? It is not too sweet or too tart. Simple. Elegant. Always special and festive. The flavour evolves as you slowly sip towards the sugar cube. While less expensive bubbles work, use something that has small bubbles (champagne method) - don't use a prosecco type wine with larger bubbles, it's just not the same.

Leslie D

Great NYE football drink. I used demerara sugar cubes and chocolate bitters. Costco champagne is perfect for this.

Therese

Triple-Sec they said. Non! said I - Cointreau !

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.