Classic Champagne Cocktail
Sparkling wine poured over an Angostura-soaked sugar cube with a lemon twist and cherry for a fast midnight toast.
Updated: Nov 9, 2026
Why you'll like it
- Ready in about 5 min.
- Serves 4 — easy to halve or double.
- Easy level — everyday equipment only.
- No-cook / minimal cooking.
- Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.
This Classic Champagne Cocktail recipe takes 5 min and makes 4 servings. The drink is built in the glass from three small parts: a sugar cube soaked with Angostura bitters, cold sparkling wine poured slowly over it, and a strip of lemon peel dropped in at the end.
Helpful guides
Instructions
Chill the flutes in the freezer for 15 minutes and stand the bottle in an ice bucket for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. Cold glass and cold wine hold carbonation, while a warm flute sends the bubbles out within a minute of pouring.
Set a sugar cube in each chilled flute, dash 2 dashes of Angostura bitters directly onto it, and add 1 teaspoon of the optional cognac if you are using it. Let the cube sit 30 seconds so it absorbs the bitters instead of dissolving unevenly in the wine.
Tilt a flute and pour the sparkling wine slowly down the inside wall until the glass is about three-quarters full, then straighten it and top up as the foam settles. A slow pour down the side keeps far more bubbles in the drink than pouring straight into the bottom.
Pinch the lemon peel skin-side down over the surface to express the oil, then drop it in and add a cherry. The citrus oil floats on top and reaches the nose first, while the cherry adds a little sweetness at the end of the glass.
Serve immediately and top the glass with a splash more wine once the cube has dissolved. The drink gets drier as the sugar melts, which is expected and not a sign that anything went wrong.
For a tray of drinks, dose the sugar cubes with bitters on a small plate up to 4 hours ahead, cover them, and build each glass when guests arrive. Prepped cubes keep the pour to under a minute per flute.
Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats
- If the drink tastes flat, the flute or the wine was warm, or the wine was poured hard down the center. Chill both properly, pour slowly against the tilted glass, and stir only once if you must.
- If the cocktail tastes too sweet, use a smaller sugar cube or a drier brut wine and add the optional lemon juice. The sugar is there to soften the bitters, not to make the drink sweet.
- If the bitters dominate, cut back to 1 dash per cube. Angostura is strong, and a soaked cube keeps releasing flavor as the glass empties, so start light and add at the table.
- If the lemon twist tastes bitter, too much white pith came away with the peel. Use a vegetable peeler and press lightly so only the yellow outer layer lifts off.
Make it your way
- Old Dhaka style: Keep the cold glass, the slow pour, and the drop of bitters in every version, since those three details carry the format.
- For a large dawat: A nonalcoholic version builds the same drink with chilled sparkling white grape juice or a zero-proof sparkling wine, so guests who are not drinking get the same ritual.
- For a French 75-style twist, add 1/2 ounce of gin or cognac to the flute before the wine and keep the bitters.
- Swap Angostura for orange bitters and a flamed orange peel for a softer, rounder profile.
- Rose sparkling wine works too and gives the drink a pink tint with a bit more fruit.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).
FAQ
Which sparkling wine should I use?
A dry brut Champagne, cava, or cremant works well, and the bitters and sugar will smooth a modest bottle. Avoid sweet styles such as moscato or demi-sec, which stack with the sugar cube and taste cloying. Serve it well chilled, around 40 to 45 degrees F, so the bubbles last through the toast.
Can I make a pitcher for a party?
Build the drinks one at a time in flutes rather than mixing a pitcher, since sparkling wine loses pressure once it is poured and stirred. Pre-dose the sugar cubes and chill a tray of flutes, then pour as guests arrive. Keep the bottle stoppered between pours so the second round is as lively as the first.
Do I have to use a sugar cube?
The cube is traditional because it dissolves slowly and keeps the drink changing as you sip. If you only have granulated sugar, use 1/2 teaspoon and stir once, but expect a sweeter first half. A small frozen cube of bitters works as a substitute and chills the drink as it melts.