A bubbly cocktail can turn any occasion into a celebration, whether you’re hosting a holiday party or sipping solo.
Sparkling wine is simply wine that has absorbed significant levels of carbon dioxide, which can occur via several methods. And you don’t have to limit yourself to Champagne and prosecco—there’s a whole world of sparkling wines to suit a range of budgets. You might opt to try a French crémant, Italian metodo clasico, or Spanish cava.
Try these 25 great sparkling wine cocktails, from classics like the Kir Royale to newer bartender creations, which include easy-going spritzes and fancy excuses to break out your flutes.
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French 75
Named for the fast-firing field gun used by the French during World War I, this citrusy drink likely originated at the height of Prohibition. The delicious mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne has enlivened plenty of brunches and evenings since.
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Champagne Cocktail
You can’t go wrong with Champagne for a celebration, but a couple extra steps will create an even more festive drink. Simply douse a sugar cube or simple syrup with Angostura bitters, top with sparkling wine, and garnish with a lemon twist.
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Mimosa
This two-part cocktail is a favorite of brunch-goers for a reason: Fresh orange juice and sparkling wine create an elegant, low-ABV drink that’s both delicious and sippable well before noon.
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Kir Royale
The original Kir cocktail, which dates back to 19th-century France, combines the blackcurrant liqueur crème de cassis with a Burgundian white wine. Swapping in sparkling wine for the latter creates a drink that’s fit for a royal—or a special brunch.
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Hugo Spritz
This thirst-quenching drink is inspired by an Italian spritz made with acqua santa, an elderflower cordial. Stateside, St-Germain elderflower liqueur is a fine substitute when muddled with a mint sprig and topped with ice, prosecco, and soda water.
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Death in the Afternoon
Top a shot of absinthe with Champagne and you have this potent drink, which shares its name with a Hemingway novel and was recorded by the author himself in a 1935 cocktail book featuring recipes from famous literary figures.
“Drink three to five of these slowly,” he instructed. His directions are, of course, optional, but even one might make you feel like Hemingway.
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Bellini
Created in Venice, Italy, at Harry’s Bar in 1948, this cocktail is named for the 15th-century painter Giovanni Bellini. The simple combination of white peach puree and prosecco has since become a popular brunch order.
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Aperol Spritz
The Aperol Spritz might’ve taken over Instagram in the 2010s, but Italians have been drinking the orange-hued mix of prosecco, Aperol, and soda water since the 1950s. Its bittersweet flavor and relatively low alcohol content make it the perfect pre-dinner drink.
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Negroni Sbagliato
A classic Negroni, while delicious, isn’t exactly a quaffable drink. This popular lower-proof version swaps gin for prosecco alongside Campari and sweet vermouth.
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Air Mail
Champagne and rum join forces in this unconventional classic. The recipe below from legendary bartender Jim Meehan also includes fresh lime juice and a rich honey syrup.
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Cranberry Ginger Mimosa
This simple and festive drink tops ginger beer and cranberry juice with Champagne or the sparkling wine of your choice. It’s a great option for the holidays.
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Boothby
Turn a classic cocktail into a festively fizzy drink. The Boothby is essentially a Manhattan (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters) topped with Champagne.
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Spiced Pear Bellini
This autumnal recipe from Naren Young is delicious any time of year. Combine pear brandy, pear puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then top with sparkling wine.
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Colletti Royale
For this bright and floral Margarita variation, our 2023 Liquor Legend Julie Reiner combines reposado tequila, Cointreau, St-Germain, blood orange and lime juices, and orange bitters, then tops the mixture with rosé Champagne.
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Scarlet Spritz
This lovely Aperol Spritz riff tops a combination of strawberry-infused Aperol, Lillet Blanc, and rhubarb bitters with sparkling wine in an absinthe-rinsed glass. Like its predecessor, it’s both light and lively.
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Black Velvet
This beer cocktail couldn’t be easier to make. Just pour some Guinness into a glass and top with Champagne. You can also opt for a hard cider instead of beer.
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Lone Ranger
Tequila and sparkling wine—especially rosé—aren’t often served in the same glass, but this French 75 riff proves that freshly-squeezed lemon can tie the two together. Bar pro Jeffrey Morgenthaler calls the drink “lower proof, bubbly, pink, and delicious.”
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Forbidden Apple
You’ll indeed be tempted by this fruit-forward Champagne Cocktail riff from Jacques Bezuidenhout. He adds Calvados apple brandy and Grand Marnier to the classic Champagne, sugar, and bitters combination.
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Magic Hour
This appetite-whetting drink from bartender Tom Macy combines Lillet Rosé, Yellow Chartreuse, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and a sparkling wine such as Gruet. The results are, well, magic.
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Perfect Pear
This fizzy drink combines gin, St-Germain, lemon juice, simple syrup, fresh pear puree, and Champagne. The recipe calls for a citrus-forward American gin, but you can also swap in a London dry.
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Fleur de Paradis
Bartender Kenta Goto combines Plymouth gin, St-Germain, grapefruit and lemon juices, simple syrup, orange bitters, and Perrier-Jouët Champagne to create this lovely floral drink. While you can swap in a more affordable sparkling wine for the Perrier-Jouët, Plymouth gin is essential for its softer flavor profile.
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West 57th
What happens when a New York Sour meets a French 75? This fruit-forward riff on the two classics, which combines Calvados, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, orange bitters, and Champagne.
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Taylor Precedent
This spiced Champagne Cocktail riff from bar pro Meaghan Dorman employs a base of bonded apple brandy, along with sweet vermouth, cinnamon syrup, and specialty bitters. She tops the mixture with crémant, a more affordable alternative to Champagne from the Jura region of France.
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Andean Dusk
This fruit-forward cocktail from Dorman calls for a base of pisco, the South American spirit distilled from grapes. Muddled grapes, lemon juice, and simple syrup also go into the shaker, while rosé Champagne gives the drink its lovely hue.
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My Golden Dram
Scotch and sparkling wine are both celebratory drinks, but it’s not often you find the two together. Enter the Golden Dram: A bitters-soaked sugar cube is mixed with a single-malt scotch and topped with prosecco for a doubly festive drink.