You can call the drink recipes below “Champagne cocktails” if you must. But the truth is, very few of them actually call for Champagne, a name for a specific type of sparkling wine from the region of France known as, uh…Champagne. And while it’s true that “sparkling wine cocktails” doesn’t have quite the same oomph, to label this collection of recipes otherwise does a disservice to the other sparkling wines of the world: Spanish cava, Italian Prosecco, German sekt, French crémant and mousseux (terms that refer to sparkling wines made in France but outside of Champagne), and the hundreds of bottles made in America and other wine producing regions that don’t have quite the same name recognition.
So, for the sake of ease and (hopefully!) harmony, we’re going to consider all bubbly white or rosé wines—but bubbly red wines are fair game for future updates, FYI—for this list of sparkling wine drink recipes.
Before you start scrolling, learn how to open a bottle of Champagne to best preserve its character. Hint: If you hear a loud pop, you’re doing it wrong. Then take a minute to watch sommelier André Hueston Mack taste some of the best Champagnes in a variety of price points, and pick up a few tips for what to look for when shopping.
