Bubbles! We love them–for special occasions, brunch, happy hour, and nightcaps. Is there anytime champagne cocktails aren’t good? Nope–they’re always appropriate, always delicious. Now, if you’re thinking, there’s no way I’m drinking a mimosa at happy hour. Well, you’re right, and we’re not saying you should. We’re saying there’s a world of the best champagne cocktails that aren’t mimosas. And if you didn’t know about them before, we’re about to upgrade your cocktail game.
Photo Credit: Photo by Jaeyoon Jeong on Unsplash
Aperol Spritz
A lovely shade of autumnal orange, the classic Aperol Spritz is the perfect happy hour apéritif.
- 2 ounces Aperol.
- 3 ounces prosecco.
- 1 ounce soda water.
Delicious and easy to make. Make in a tumbler, a wine glass, or a collins glass–fill it with ice, pour in Aperol, a dash of soda water, and top with prosecco.
Bellini
Look, when you have the option to order a mimosa or a bellini; you go bellini every. single. time.
- 2 ounces white peach nectar.
- 4 ounces prosecco.
We think it’s easier to add nectar to prosecco in the flute, so you don’t end up with all juice at the end of the cocktail, but mix these two ingredients however you see fit.
Champagne Cobbler
If Maraschino liqueur isn’t already part of your home bar set up, this cocktail is the perfect excuse to buy a bottle. And empty it in short order.
- 1 ounce Maraschino liqueur.
- 1 ounce orange juice.
- ¾ ounce pineapple juice.
- 4 ounces champagne.
Combine liqueur and juice in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake, then strain into a flute and top with champagne.
Champagne Cocktail
It’s less cocktail and more champagne plus some stuff. But it’s primed for variation and adaptation.
- 1 sugar cube or ½ ounce syrup.
- 2-4 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters, but use any bitters you like.
- 6 ounces champagne.
Mix sugar/syrup with bitters and top with champagne. Add a splash of your preferred spirit and garnish with season fruit or a twist of lemon.
Coral Reef
In general, we steer our readers away from the overtly sweet liqueurs. But sometimes the neon color of Midori or Blue Curacao is too hard to resist.
- 1 ½ ounces of a bright liqueur–Midori, Aperol, Campari, or Blue Curacao.
- ¾ ounce lemon juice.
- ½ ounce simple syrup.
- 4 ounces champagne.
- Grenadine or food dyed simple syrup.
- Fine-grain sugar.
Dip the top ½ inch of a flute into grenadine, or a food dyed simple syrup. Roll the top of the glass in sugar for the “coral” effect. Shake liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker—strain into the flute and top with champagne.
French 75
We’re going old school with the original New Orleans recipe for this French 75.
- 1 ½ ounces Cognac.
- ½ ounce lemon juice.
- ½ ounce simple syrup.
- 4 ounces champagne.
Shake Cognac, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a flute and top with champagne. Tradition says to garnish it with an extravagantly long lemon twist.
Harvest Punch
Don’t we always take care of the PSL crew? This cocktail list is no different. Next brunch, snuggle your pumpkin latte right up next to a glass of Harvest Punch while you chow down on some pumpkin pancakes. It’s fall, bb!
- 1 ½ ounces Great Lakes Pumpkin Spice Liqueur.
- 2 ounces apple cider.
- 2 ounces champagne.
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
Mix cinnamon and sugar and rim a rocks glass with it. Shake pumpkin spice liqueur and lemon juice with ice, strain into the rimmed glass, add prosecco, and cider, then top with ice.
My Golden Dram
A riff on the Champagne Cocktail, we suggest this to get your scotch-hating friends to warm up to the peat-in-a-glass spirit. Don’t use the cheap stuff, reach for something with at least a decade in the barrel.
- ¾ ounce aged scotch.
- 1 sugar cube.
- 2-4 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
- 4 ounces prosecco.
Soak the sugar cube with bitters at the bottom of a flute, then add scotch and stir until sugar dissolves. Top with prosecco and garnish with a twist of lemon.
Spagliato
If you love Negronis but don’t love how boozy they are, then try this classic twist.
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth.
- 1 ounce Campari
- 4 ounces prosecco.
Combine vermouth and Campari in a mixing glass with ice and stir–add prosecco, then strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an orange slice.
Find the Best Bourbons in the Country
Champagne not your thing? Check out the best bourbons in the country at any price point.
Find the Best Bourbons
Sgroppino
Is it dessert? Is it a cocktail? It’s better than either because it’s both.
- 1 scoop of fruit sorbet–lemon, raspberry, peach.
- 1 ounce vodka.
- 4 ounces prosecco.
Combine all ingredients in a chilled metal bowl and whisk until light and foamy–then pour into a wine or coupe glass.
Featured Photo Credit: Jaeyoon Jeong on Unsplash
