Champagne cocktails for the holidays

Bring on the Bubbly

Three Champagne Cocktails for Clink-Worthy Festivities

Good friends and great (bubbly) cocktails make for a spirited celebration, whether a birthday, bachelorette, Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve. That’s why ICE and People Food teamed up to bring you these three Champagne-based drinks: the classic Champagne cocktail, a French 75 and a rosemary-infused pomegranate sparkler.

Watch below to learn from ICE's Director of Beverage Studies Anthony Caporale how to prepare each one — then put a few bottles of bub on ice and watch your party go from festive to fantastic.

*Bubbly tips from ICE Beverage Director Anthony Caporale

  • Never shake a drink that contains Champagne or any carbonated beverage, as the mixing glass may explode out of the cocktail shaker.
  • Pour Champagne down the side of the glass to decrease the amount of head; pour it into the center of the glass to increase the amount of head.
  • Liquids lose carbonation as they warm up, so keep your Champagne bottle on ice after opening to help maintain the bubbles.

The Champagne Cocktail

Servings: Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 1 sugar cube
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Champagne
  • Strawberry or lemon

Preparation:

  1. Place a sugar cube into a Champagne coupe.
  2. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to the sugar cube.
  3. Fill glass with Champagne.
  4. Garnish with a sliced strawberry or lemon twist.

French 75

Servings: Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

  • Ice
  • 1 ounce gin
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup
  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice (or, juice of 1 lemon)
  • Champagne
  • Lemon twist

Preparation:

  1. Fill cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add gin, simple syrup and lemon juice, and shake.
  3. Pour mixture into a champagne flute.
  4. Top with Champagne.
  5. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Rosemary-Infused Pomegranate Sparkler

Servings: Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups boiling hot water
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  • 1 ounce pomegranate juice
  • Champagne
  • Pomegranate seeds

Preparation:

  1. Add sugar and water together in a pitcher.
  2. Add rosemary and stir; allow to infuse for one hour.
  3. To a glass, add pomegranate juice and 1 ounce of the rosemary-infused simple syrup.
  4. Top with Champagne.
  5. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

 Want to learn to mix cocktails like a pro? Check out ICE’s wine and beverage programs.

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