Spritzes, Sangria & SparklingWinter

Champagne Cocktail

First printed by Jerry Thomas, 1862

The Champagne Cocktail is a sugar cube soaked in aromatic bitters, dropped into a flute, with an optional splash of cognac and a top of cold brut Champagne. The sugar dissolves slowly, sending up a steady stream of bubbles and a hint of spice. A classic for New Year's Eve.

  • GlassFlute
  • MethodBuilt in the glass
  • Ingredients4
Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

Making a batch?
Servings
Lemon twistGarnish
Total volume—

Directions

  1. Drop the sugar cube into a flute and soak it with the bitters.
  2. Add the cognac if using.
  3. Top slowly with cold Champagne.

ToolsJiggerFlute glass

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History

The Champagne Cocktail appears in Jerry Thomas's 1862 bartender's guide, the first American cocktail book, and it may be older still. Later bartenders added cognac and fruit. It has remained a toast on special occasions for more than 160 years.

Making a batch? Scale it for a crowd, add dilution water, and see how many bottles to buy.
Quick sizes
How are you making it? ⓘ Batching includes dilution water. Pre-batched cocktails need added water to replace the melt from stirring or shaking. We use Jeffrey Morgenthaler's standard: 18% for spirit-forward drinks, 25% for shaken.

What you'll need to buy

Based on 750ml bottles (25.4 oz), rounded up.

Bottle math, generally

750ml bottle25.4 oz
2 oz pours per bottle12 cocktails
1.5 oz pours per bottle16 cocktails
1 oz =29.6 ml
This recipe per 750ml of spirit—

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