Sgroppino, a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco, is common in Italy as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or a pre-dinner drink. We prefer this version by Marc Vetri's beverage director Steve Wildy, where the ingredients are whisked together to create a chilly, frothy libation. Helen Rosner
There’s something inherently celebratory about a fizzy cocktail. From over-the-top punches to simple classics like the French 75, here are our favorite recipes for sparkling drinks.
Kir Royale
Unlike a kir, which is made with white wine, a kir royale is topped with sparkling wine and garnished with fresh berries.
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Mimosa
The simple method of mixing champagne and orange juice, popularized in Paris and London in the 1920s, has an enduring appeal.
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Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon
Named after Ernest Hemingway’s 1932 novel about the rituals of bullfighting, this champagne cocktail takes its greenish hue from a splash of absinthe.
The Long Hello
The name of this cocktail references an obscure prog rock album from the 1970s, but the drink itself is an elegant champagne cocktail created for wedding toasts and, with the apple brandy and the St. Germain, perfect for cold weather.
The Oz
“The Oz is named after a jazz club that used to be here in Chicago. It was in my neighborhood and they were known not only for amazing music, but for their cognac and champagne selection. It was a favorite hang out of mine — and it was also the first place to serve Pierre Ferrand cognacs in the United States. When I met Pierre Ferrand’s president Alexandre Gabriel this summer, he told me the story of his cognacs and mentioned the bar Oz. I lit up because I knew the place well, and I told him my next cognac cocktail would be called Oz in honor of our shared bond.” —Lynn House, chief mixologist, Blackbird, Chicago See the recipe for the Oz »
The Bitter End
“With a nod to our favorite Colorado spirits company, we use Leopold whiskey, Domaine De Canton, fresh lime, and prosecco, topped with Fernet Branca. It’s a beautifully layered and balanced cocktail, refreshing to drink, with bit of a kick, and lovely to behold.” —Frank Bonanno, chef/owner, The Green Russell, Denver, Colorado See the recipe for the Bitter End » Back to 7 Festive Champagne Drinks »
Sgroppino
Sgroppino, a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco, is common in Italy as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or a pre-dinner drink.
Spritz
Found all over Italy, the spritz is a classically Venetian cocktail of prosecco mixed with a bitter aperitif and soda water.
Prince of Wales
Sweet champagne, muddled pineapple, and warming rye whiskey form the basis for this pre-Prohibition era cocktail.
The Moonwalk
Joe Gilmore, legendary Head Barman at the Savoy Hotel’s American Bar, invented this cocktail in 1969 to commemorate the first moon landing. The drink—a combination of grapefruit, orange liqueur, and a hint of rosewater, topped with Champagne—was the first thing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin sipped upon returning to earth.
Punch Romaine
Punch Romaine, a rum-spiked shaved-ice palate cleanser served to first class passengers during the fateful last dinner aboard the Titanic on April 14th, 1912, was based on a recipe from famed French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier, who championed alcoholic shaved ices during the early twentieth century. The original recipe, essentially a granita, is updated here as a drinkable, citrusy cocktail poured over an iceberg of crushed ice.
French 75
Named for an innovative piece of French artillery and comprising just four ingredients–gin, lemon, simple syrup, Champagne–the French 75, when made properly, features nose-tickling bubbly as the gateway to a perfectly integrated combination of floral gin and citrus. See the recipe for the French 75 »
Autumn Bellini
Prosecco marries with richly spiced mulled cider and a splash of fig vodka in this fall drink.
Airmail
Bartender Thad Vogler of San Francisco’s Bar Agricole gave us his recipe for this bubbly drink.
Bee’s Knees
Kansas City’s Rye restaurant pours this classic, a honey-sweetened gin potion, which gets its effervescence from a splash of rosé champagne.
Bianchini
This cloudy, coconuty version of a bellini comes from Manhattan restaurant Lievito.
Coupe DeVille
To make this cocktail from bartender Keith Nelson of Manhattan’s Arlington Club, purchase pear-infused vodka or make your own by letting sliced ripe pears sit in vodka for at least two weeks.
Crush and Swizzle
Pomegranate juice gives this rum-laced prosecco drink a sweetness that belies its potency.
