Champagne Cocktail

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 5 min.

Makes

1 serving

Updated: Nov. 22, 2023
This amber champagne cocktail is a bubbly twist on the traditional old-fashioned. Try it with extra dry champagne. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Champagne Cocktail Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 sugar cube or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 dashes bitters
  • 1/2 ounce brandy
  • 1/2 cup chilled champagne
  • Optional: Fresh rosemary sprig and fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

  1. Place sugar in a champagne flute or cocktail glass; sprinkle with bitters. Add brandy; top with champagne. If desired, top with rosemary and cranberries.

Champagne Cocktail Tips

Is Prosecco a Champagne?

No. Prosecco is delicious, but it is not technically Champagne with a capital "C." Champagne only comes from Champagne, France. It is made using a procedure that includes a second fermentation in the bottle. (A second fermentation is what makes a wine bubbly). Prosecco, a fun-to-drink Italian wine, undergoes its second fermentation in a large tank. This is called the charmat method. It makes Prosecco cheaper to produce than the Champagne method, which takes more time and effort.

Is champagne stronger than wine?

No. Most champagnes clock in around 11% to 12.5% alcohol, so they are not very strong compared to other types of wines. But there is something tricky about champagne and other fizzy drinks. They tend to go to our heads faster than still (not sparkling) wine or drinks, so it's a good idea to serve and enjoy these alcoholic beverages in moderation. Don't want to sip bubbly on an empty stomach? Learn to pair wine and food like a pro. Another option is to go for a non-alcoholic champagne.

What's the best champagne?

My favorite is Krug. But at a few hundred dollars a bottle, I’d never mix Krug (or any real Champagne) into these champagne cocktail recipes. In fact, I’d reach for Prosecco, an American bubbly such as Korbel or Gruet, a Spanish cava, or even Asti Spumante instead. The best champagne is the one you prefer. I recommend you don’t overspend on any wine you use in a recipe. Here are 20 great bubblies under $20.

Research contributed by Christine Rukavena, Taste of Home Book Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 130 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 0 sodium, 5g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.