These Recipes Prove Champagne Makes a Better Cocktail

Whether you saber the bottle like a pro or simply pop it open, champagne (and its effervescent fizz) signals that it’s time for a celebration. But sparkling wine shouldn’t just be reserved for toasting in flutes on special occasions like New Year’s Eve, a wedding, or the next time you get a promotion.

Champagne, especially a dry brut that’s not cloyingly sweet, makes for a versatile addition to cocktails. It can make a margarita sparkle. It can be the signature ingredient in a bowl of punch. It can even star in glamorous cocktails like the French 75 (gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar).

What we’re getting at is champagne is so much more than you give it credit for (especially if you only sip it in mimosas at boozy brunches).

In fact, champagne and its close cousin prosecco (quick explainer: Champagne is from France; Prosecco is from Italy) are a home bartender’s best bet for leveling up a cocktail, helping your mixed drinks ascend to swanky status. Sure, the expensive bottle of reserve champagne you’ve been saving should be sipped and savored. But you can get a damn good bottle of cava (Spanish bubbles) or prosecco for under $15—and not feel guilty about using it all in a batch of cocktails.