There’s No Substitute for Champagne in These Celebratory Cocktails

Like Kleenex, Tupperware, or Ziploc — brand names that have become synonymous with an entire category of products — people often use the word Champagne to describe sparkling wine from anywhere in the world.

The French, however, are not so keen on that (and have launched several legal campaigns to protect the term) because actual Champagne comes only from the northern French region of Champagne. Its unique character is created by the region’s terroir and its signature winemaking techniques. So, when it comes to using Champagne in cocktails, any old bottle of fizz may not be the answer.

“Champagne has a specific flavor profile and set of aromas that need to be tailored to the drink you’re using it in, whereas sparkling wine as a larger category is more a blank slate tailored to the tastes of the drinker,” says Food & Wine editorial director Dylan Garret.

Champagne’s savory depth, brioche-like aromas, citrusy flavors, and fine bubbles make it a fascinating ingredient for cocktails, but they also pose challenges with other ingredients (great with whiskey, for example, but not so good in an Aperol Spritz).

Consider classic cocktails, in which “a bubble is like a magnifying glass for flavor,” says Garret. The Boothby, a variation on a Manhattan enlivened with a bit of Champagne, was first devised by San Francisco–based bartender William “Cocktail Bill” Boothby in the late 1800s. In this drink, Champagne’s tiny, fine bubbles and bready aromas — from contact with the lees (spent yeasts from fermentation) during the winemaking process — amplify the yeasty notes in the rye whiskey. A soft, fruity Prosecco, for instance, wouldn’t work as well.

Garret prefers classic cocktails for a few reasons. As with Champagne, where a centuries-old winemaking technique and even character is respected, classic cocktails made to their original specifications are the best way to preserve tradition and create a baseline — a shared vocabulary of sorts.

“You want to start with the absolutely original version of a classic cocktail, then make changes from there,” says Garret. “Otherwise, you end up with a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy, where the cocktail’s original intent slowly disappears in a chain of personalized tweaks.”

For cocktails, look for brut or extra brut Champagnes (the driest styles). The Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut ($43) is a good, widely available choice. Here are three classic Champagne cocktails — they’ll add some opulence, and effervescence, to any celebration.