It’s that time of the year again! Where bottles are popped for any reason, really. To jazz things up this year, we’ve put together a list of six fruity champagne cocktails you can easily DIY. They make use of fun, colourful fruits, like blackberries and grapefruit juice. The result? Delicious and flavourful champagne cocktails you’ll be making for every party! In fact, most of them are so simple you might just never have champagne on its own again. You can also easily replace champagne with prosecco or use non-alcoholic sparkling wine to make it virgin.
1. Poinsettia Spritz Punch
Ingredients:
3/4 cup champagne/sparkling wine
3/4 cup vodka
1 1/2 oz elderflower liquor
1 1/2 cups 100% cranberry juice
1 cup fresh cranberries
rosemary sprigs and orange slices for garnishing
We love the bright and beautiful colours at play in this drink. Who knew it’d be so easy (and delicious) to add a festive touch to your dinner party?
To cook up this Poinsettia cocktail with a cranberry twist, start by combining the vodka, cranberry juice, and elderflower liquor in a large pitcher. Keep it in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve. When it’s time, pour in the champagne or sparkling wine and cranberries then transfer into individual glasses. Garnish with the orange slices and rosemary sprigs, and enjoy!
Recipe credit: Half Baked Harvest
2. Berrylicious French 75
Ingredients
2 oz champagne/sparkling wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 fresh blackberries or strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
fresh blackberries/strawberries and lemon rind for garnishing
A French 75 is called Soixante Quinze in French, or also referred to as the 75 Cocktail. The standard 75 Cocktail is made with lemon juice, gin, and champagne. To whip up this refreshing version with blackberries or strawberries, add the water, sugar, and berry of your choice into a small pan. Let simmer for five minutes while continuously stirring. Then, strain and set aside. Once cool, move it into the refrigerator to chill until it is needed.
Add ice to your cocktail shaker and pour in two tablespoons of the berry simple syrup, one ounce gin, and one tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Shake it like you mean it, then strain and pour into a cocktail glass, topping it up with champagne or sparkling wine. For a pretty presentation, garnish with a fresh blackberry/strawberry and lemon rind.
Recipe from: Heather Cristo
3. Coconut Flirtini
Ingredients
1 oz champagne/sparkling wine
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz coconut juice*
2 oz vodka
simple syrup
unsweetened finely-shredded coconut
*if you prefer not to use coconut juice, double the volume of the pineapple juice
Made famous by flicks like Sex and the City and The Mighty Boosh, the Flirtini can be enjoyed in many ways. In this tropical-infused recipe, coconut juice is added into the mix. First, dip the rim of a martini glass into simple syrup, then shredded coconut and set aside. Combine vodka and the two fruit juices in an ice-filled shaker and shake until chilled. Pour the mix into the martini glass and top up with champagne/sparkling wine.
Recipe from: The Stiers Aesthetic
4. Black Velvet
Ingredients
4 oz champagne/sparkling wine
4 oz stout beer, chilled
1 teaspoon creme de mure or creme de cassis/berry liquer
Brandied or other liqueur-soaked cherries
For a celebratory twist on your favourite nightcap, try making the Black Velvet cocktail this party season. Simply pour the champagne or sparkling wine into a chilled flute or cocktail glass and top up with the beer and fruit liqueur of your choice. Garnish with a liqueur-soaked cherry a la olive-in-a-martini style.
Recipe from: Salt and Wind
5. Grapefruit and Sage Champagne cocktail
Ingredients
For the sage simple syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 bunches fresh sage leaves
For the cocktails
Champagne
Pink grapefruit juice
Angostura bitters
Ice cubes
Sage simple syrup
Fresh sage leaves
Impress your guests with this unconventional, pretty cocktail. First, make the sage simple syrup by simmering sugar and water over a medium-high heat until completely dissolved. Add the sage and stir for another 30 seconds or so, then remove the greens and allow the solution to cool.
To make one glass of cocktail, pour six tablespoons of grapefruit juice, three tablespoons of sage simple syrup, and two to three dashes of bitters into a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass with ice cubes and top up with half a cup of Champagne. For pretty photos, garnish with fresh sage leaves and voila! Enjoy your grapefruit-y champagne cocktails!
Recipe from: Floating Kitchen
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