The 50 Best Champagne Cocktail Recipes for the Holidays (original) (raw)

'Tis the season for bubbly

best-champagne-cocktails-for-holidays

Half Baked Harvest

Here at PureWow, we like to think of ourselves as your biggest fan. As such, the last thing we’d want is for you to start the holiday season on the wrong foot—or with a bad drink. To kick off your epic holiday celebration (yes, even if you’re spending Christmas on the couch in sweats), here are 50 tremendously delicious Champagne cocktails that are easy enough for any newbie mixologist to shake up (think: minted mimosa punch, spiced maple bourbon fizz, and more). You really can’t go wrong with bubbly, right?

champagne cocktails: grapefruit champagne cocktail

1. Grapefruit and Sage Champagne Cocktails

Did you know peak grapefruit season starts around Christmas? Prepare the sage simple syrup ahead to save time the day of the party.

champagne cocktails: minted mimosa punch

2. Minted Mimosa Punch

Have you ever seen a more photogenic cocktail? Fresh fruit and mint leaves tend to have that effect.

champagne cocktails: blood orange champagne mule

3. Blood Orange Champagne Mule

Vodka meets Champagne for an extra boozy kick and the ultimate holiday cocktail. We'd spring for sparklers if we were you.

champagne cocktails: raspberry lime champagne punch

5. Raspberry-Lime Champagne Punch

An easy way to serve drinks to your whole crew, all at once (because nothing is worse than being stuck behind the bar at your own party).

poinsetta spritz champagne cocktails

6. Poinsettia Spritz Punch

With a hint of gin and St. Germain elderflower liqueur, this holiday Champagne cocktail packs a punch.

champagne cocktails: pear and chramberry champagne cocktail

7. Pear and Cranberry Champagne Cocktails

Don't let the long prep intimidate you: Most of it is hands-off time for the fruit compote to reduce and chill.

champagne cocktails: spiced maple bourbon fizz

10. Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz

Maple syrup infused with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger meets fresh citrus and oaky bourbon. (We're betting vanilla-flavored whiskey or spiced rum would taste divine, too.)

champagne cocktails: apple cider champagne cocktails

11. Apple Cider Champagne Cocktail

Sure, you could use store-bought cider. Or you could make your own from scratch on the stove, in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot.

champagne cocktails: french 75

12. French 75

Who cares if it’s snowing? This refreshing classic is still undeniably delicious.

champagne cocktails: red carpet glamor cocktail

13. Red Carpet Glamour Cocktail

Citrus juice mingles with brut Champagne and rose petals for a floral, slightly bitter cocktail that oozes class. Make the sour mix in advance so it's chilled when you need it.

champagne cocktails: apple pear and pomegranate sangria

14. Apple, Pear and Pomegranate Sangria

A delicious seasonal twist on one of our old favorites. Make a big batch of the sangria in a pitcher to serve a crowd with ease.

champagne cocktails: blackberry champagne mule

15. Blackberry Champagne Mule

Bust out your muddler: Breaking the blackberries down releases every drop of their sweet-tart juice.

champagne cocktails: kir royale

16. Kir Royale

This French staple couldn't be easier to pull off. You only need two ingredients to whip one up.

champagne cocktails: christmas champagne cocktail

17. Christmas Champagne Cocktail

When it comes to Christmas Champagne cocktails, you can't go wrong with a pretty sugared rim.

champagne cocktails: lavender bellini cocktail

18. Lavender Bellini Cocktail

Spruce up the peach juice or purée in this brunch essential with dried lavender buds.

champagne cocktails: pineapple margarita sparklers

19. Pineapple Margarita Sparklers

Four words: Chipotle. Chili. Salt. Rim. (If you need more convincing, allow us to point out the grilled pineapple garnish.)

champagne cocktails: st germain pomegranate spritzers

20. St. Germain Pomegranate Spritzers

No garnish is as naturally elegant as pomegranate arils, and they just so happen to be the ultimate wintry finishing touch.

champagne cocktails: bittersweet sparkler

21. Bitter Sweet Sparkler Cocktail

Starring peach brandy and Suze liqueur, a 19th-century French aperitif made from a bitter root. Up the elegance by serving them in coupe glasses instead of flutes.

champagne cocktails: champagne punch

23. Strawberry Satsuma Champagne Sangria

Satsumas are a type of mandarin orange from Japan that's sweeter and juicier than other common types. If you can't find them, go with cara cara oranges instead.

champagne cocktails: sparkling pear and tamarind

24. Sparkling Pear and Tamarind Cocktail

Clink your glasses at midnight with these babies and boom—it's a regular Gatsby party. Finish each drink with a cinnamon stick and a paper-thin slice of pear. (You'll need to make this well in advance, since the drink requires two hours of chill time to let the flavors meld.)

champagne cocktails: sparkling pomegranate punch

25. Sparkling Pomegranate Punch

Candied rosemary is super simple to make (and looks really chic in a Champagne glass).

champagne cocktails: apple cider champagne cocktail

26. Apple Cider Champagne Cocktail

In case you're still not over fall when the winter season begins, this cinnamon-sugar gem has your back.

champagne cocktails: orange champagne cocktail

27. Orange Champagne Cocktail

Think of it like an elevated cross between a mimosa and a screwdriver. They'll go great with New Year's Day breakfast.

champagne cocktails: strawberry basil champagne sparklers

28. Strawberry Basil Champagne Sparklers

Homemade, lemon-kissed strawberry puree is the key to impressing each and every one of your guests.

champagne cocktails: the golden night

29. The Golden Night Cocktail

Come on. This Champagne cocktail straight-up glamorous. Might we suggest making it even more luxe with edible gold?

champagne cocktails: pomegranate st germain

30. Pomegranate Ginger Sparkler Cocktail

Have you ever tried Domaine de Canton? It's a silky ginger liqueur with notes of honey and vanilla.

champagne cocktails: christmas punch

32. Christmas Punch

This one's a no-brainer for your Christmas celebration but it'll taste just as refreshing and delicious on the 31st for your NYE get-together. Just call it something else, like Meet Me at Midnight Punch, perhaps?

champagne cocktails: blackberry champagne punch

33. Blackberry Champagne Punch

This boozy beauty boasts brandy and Grand Marnier in addition to bubbly.

champagne cocktails: sparkling holiday champagne sangria

34. Sparkling Holiday Champagne Sangria

Moscato and bubbly are a match made in hostess heaven. Use 100 percent real cranberry juice for maximum tartness.

champagne cocktails: champagne elderflower cocktail

35. Champagne-Elderflower Cocktail with Pear and Thyme

Face it: Fresh herbs in a Champagne cocktail impress even the pickiest of critics. So this year, let fresh thyme do the heavy lifting.

champagne cocktails: pomegranate and orange champagne punch

36. Pomegranate and Orange Champagne Punch

You really don't want to skip the festive ice cubes stuffed with mint leaves and pomegranate arils. They're worth prepping in advance.

champagne cocktails: champagne punch

37. Champagne Punch

Make a virgin batch without the bubbly (sparkling grape juice is a solid substitute) for the little ones struggling to stay up for the New Year's Eve countdown.

champagne cocktails: strawberry jalapeno fizz

38. Strawberry-Champagne Tequila Fizz

Thin-sliced jalapeños and earthy tequila give juicy berries a serious edge that won't disappoint.

champagne cocktails: hibiscus ginger champagne cocktail

39. Hibiscus and Ginger Champagne Cocktail

Champagne cocktails truly don't get fancier with whole hibiscus flowers in rose water syrup at the bottom of each glass.

champagne cocktails: grapefruit floats

40. Pink Grapefruit-Champagne Sorbet Floats

Our favorite cocktails are those that double as dessert. Here, homemade grapefruit-Champagne sorbet takes centerstage.

champagne cocktails: pear and bubbles

41. Pear and Bubbles

Starring homemade Bosc pear puree, spiked with cardamom and cinnamon. Use a melon baller to scoop a cute garnish out of the pears, or fan a few pear or apple slices together to look like a star.

champagne cocktails: strawberry champagne mojito

42. Strawberry Champagne Mojito

Traditional rum, mint and lime juice collide with homemade strawberry syrup and bubbly for a summery cocktail that tastes just as refreshing in the dead of winter.

champagne cocktails: pomegranate champagne

43. Pomegranate Orange Champagne Cocktail

Feel free to use store-bought pomegranate juice, but we definitely recommend squeezing your own OJ—it'll go a long way in the flavor department.

prosecco cocktail: fig prosecco cocktail

44. Fig Prosecco Cocktail

The recipe calls for affordable prosecco, but real Champagne is a stellar substitute. Brownie points for finishing each glass with a gold sugar rim and fresh mint.

champagne cocktails: spicy blood orange champagne cocktail

45. Spiced Blood Orange Champagne Punch

The blood orange base is infused with warm spices and reduced into a sweet-tart syrup on the stove. Grab a glass and let's start the countdown, shall we?

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46. Rosemary-Infused Champagne Cocktail

Don’t throw out those rosemary twigs that you used for your holiday feast! Use them in this bubbly number and it will make that holiday toast with friends extra fancy.

champagne cocktails: Blood Orange-Mint Gin Fizz

47. Blood Orange-Mint Gin Fizz

Gin and mint are such a power couple, especially when paired with ultra-refreshing and very wintery blood orange.

champagne cocktails: watermelon agua fresca mimosas

48. Watermelon Agua Fresca Mimosas

Looking for a refreshing beverage for your celebration? This is a bright sip that will cheer up your holiday fete in no time.

summer cocktails: summer bellinis three ways

49. Summer Bellinis 3 Ways

We know, we know, the recipe says summer. But since it calls for frozen fruit, you can easily make these and sip them all year-round.

cranberry-mint-holiday-punch-recipe-champagne-cocktails

50. Cranberry-Mint Holiday Punch

This large-batch cocktail is made with festive cranberry, zesty orange juice and plenty of bubbles (the recipe calls for prosecco but Champagne works just as well).

Additional reporting by Alexandra Hough

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.

sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

taryn pire

Food Editor