Below are a few tips to help you prepare the best champagne cocktail.

• Chill your glass in the freezer for 5 – 10 minutes while you gather your ingredients and open your champagne. (Heat is the enemy of carbonation.)
• Since none of these drinks are served over ice, chill all ingredients in the fridge for several hours before making your cocktails.
• Freshly squeeze all citrus and strain to remove any bits of pulp. Chill.

The basic ingredients of a champagne cocktail usually includes:

• a bitter or sweet liqueur
• a flavor accent, if you used a bitter for the first step this step will mostly likely be sweet 
• Champagne or Prosecco 

Once you understand the basic components, have fun and create your own cocktail. Below are a few options to get you started. 

The Classic Champagne Cocktail

1 sugar cube

Angostura aromatic bitters

5 oz Champagne

Place the sugar cube in the bottom of a chilled champagne flute. Dash bitters onto the sugar cube until soaked. Top with champagne. This is a classic party drink because it’s quick to make and the sugar makes the champagne fizz.

Kir Royale

1/2 ounce black currant liqueur (Creme de Cassis)

5 oz Champagne

Luxardo cherry (do not chill or the syrup will crystalize)

Pour the chilled liqueur into the chilled champagne glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Cocchi Champagne Cocktail

1 oz Cocchi Americano

1/2 oz Orange simple syrup (see below)

5 oz Champagne or Prosecco

Combine in a chilled champagne flute. Garnish with an orange slice or a fresh orange peel.

Orange Simple Syrup

Simmer in a saucepan for 5 – 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup of sugar
• The peel from 1 orange and 1 lemon (try to include as little white part (pith) as possible since that will give your syrup a bitter taste)
• Juice from the orange you just zested

Strain out the peels, discard. Refrigerate the citrus simple syrup for up to one week.

Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail

1 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 oz Hibiscus rosemary concentrate (see below)

5 oz Champagne or Prosecco 

Combine in chilled champagne flute. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate. If you can find hibiscus flowers that’s great, (available on Amazon) but if not, just pick up a container of natural hibiscus tea at the grocery store. The Republic of Tea is a good brand.

• Boil 1 1/2 cups of water
• Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers or several tea bags and a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary

Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the concentrate is a dark red.

Strain out the flowers and discard. Refrigerate the concentrated tea for up to one week. (If you have any leftover concentrate, try it in the Hibiscus margarita.) 

Cherry Champagne Cocktail

Luxardo cherries (do not chill or the syrup will crystalize)

1 oz Cherry liqueur (I used Heering 200) 

Fresh lemon juice 

5 oz Champagne or Prosecco

Drop a Luxardo cherry in the bottom of a chilled champagne coupe or flute. Use a spoon to drizzle a tablespoon of Luxardo syrup in the glass. Top with 1 oz cherry liqueur and a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice, then top with Champagne or Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon wheel or lemon peel. 

Sorbet Champagne Float

Sorbet

Raspberries or blackberries

Champagne

Place a ball of sorbet in a chilled coupe, top with champagne and berries. Serve with a spoon. You could even serve this for dessert, just use a chilled dessert dish and increase the size of the sorbet scoop. 

I can’t forget the classic, Aperol Spritz.

For the person who just wants a glass of champagne, consider adding a few pomegranate seeds and watch them dance on the bubbles. 

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Comment below with your favorite bubbly cocktail. I’m always looking for new ideas.