Why Add Soda to Your Cocktail When You Could Use Champagne Instead?

When you order a cocktail at a bar, you’ll often see the bartender top off the glass with soda before serving it. It’s not just because the soda fills the glass at almost no cost to the bar, although that’s certainly part of it. In fact, there are lots of other reasons why water or soda can be a great addition to a cocktail.

• It adds substance to the cocktail without increasing its alcohol content, giving you a larger drink that won’t leave you feeling inebriated.
• The effervescence of soda delivers flavors to your palate differently, which can alter the drink’s flavor profile in a positive way.
• It reduces the alcohol burn of high-strength sprits, which can help you taste certain flavor notes more clearly.

When you’re in the mood to add a bit of fizzy goodness to a cocktail, though, why use soda water when you could use something that adds fizz and flavor instead? As you already knew from the article’s title, we’re talking about using Champagne instead of soda.

No, we’re not suggesting that you waste a top-quality vintage by adding it to a mixed drink. However, this can be a great use for a less expensive sparkling wine and can totally transform a cocktail’s flavor profile.

Here are a few popular cocktails that often include soda. Try using Champagne in place of the soda and prepare to have your mind blown.

Champagne Old Fashioned

Some people have written entire essays about the evil of adding soda to an old fashioned, but we disagree because it really helps to bring out the flavor of a good-but-not-great whiskey. The old fashioned was the drink of choice for hard-edged chain-smoking movie detectives back in the day, but those days are over. You can do your best Bogart while enjoying this cocktail if you like – but make it a vape instead of a cigarette.

Ingredients:

• Bourbon or rye whiskey
• Champagne
• Bitters (try black walnut)
• Sugar cube
• Orange or lemon peel
• Orange or lemon slice (for garnish)
• Maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Recipe:

Build the drink in an old-fashioned glass (also known as a lowball or rocks glass).

• Place the orange or lemon peel in the glass along with a sugar cube. Wet the sugar cube with a dash or two of the bitters.
• Use a muddler to dissolve the sugar and draw the oils out of the citrus peel.
• Add a jigger of whiskey.
• Add a large ice cube.
• Top the glass with Champagne.
• Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange or lemon slice.

Champagne Gimlet

Speaking of hard-boiled detectives, the gimlet was once mentioned in a novel by author Ramond Chandler. Chandler was the creator of the Philip Marlowe character later made famous by Humphrey Bogart. The gimlet is traditionally made with Rose’s lime juice, which is full of corn syrup and preservatives. The added sugar is totally unnecessary. Let the sweetness of Champagne and freshly squeezed lime juice speak for themselves.

Ingredients:

• Gin
• Lime
• Champagne

Recipe:

Build the drink in an ice-filled shaker and prepare a chilled cocktail or old-fashioned glass for serving.

• Place a jigger of gin in the shaker.
• Add the juice of one lime.
• Shake the cocktail and strain it into the serving glass.
• Top with Champagne.

Champagne Mojito

From one lime-tinged cocktail to another, the mojito is easily one of the most popular mixed drinks in the world right now and is probably the tastiest mint-flavored cocktail that exists (apologies to mint julep fans). The mojito is traditionally topped with soda water, and substituting Champagne gives you the perfect opportunity to add an extra dimension of flavor.

Ingredients:

• Light rum
• Lime
• Fresh mint leaves
• Simple syrup (optional)
• Champagne
• Fresh mint sprig (for garnish)

Recipe:

Build the drink in an ice-filled shaker and prepare an ice-filled highball glass for serving.

• Place a jigger of light rum in the shaker.
• Add the juice of one lime.
• Add about 10-12 fresh mint leaves.
• Add a dash of simple syrup if desired.
• Use a muddler to break up the mint leaves and extract their flavor.
• Shake the cocktail and strain it into the serving glass.
• Top with Champagne.
• Garnish with a mint sprig.

Champagne Siesta

Created in 2006, the siesta cocktail has gotten a lot of positive press because it combines the best aspects of the margarita and Hemingway special cocktails. Although the original recipe doesn’t call for soda water, we think Champagne is a great addition that almost gives the siesta the vibe of a grapefruit soda with an extra kick. If you have some tequila on hand and want something that’s a little different from a traditional margarita, give this Champagne siesta a try.

Ingredients:

• Blanco tequila
• Campari
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Champagne
• Grapefruit peel (for garnish)

Recipe:

Build the drink in an ice-filled shaker and prepare an ice-filled highball glass for serving.

• Place a jigger of tequila in the shaker.
• Add a jigger of freshly squeezed lime juice.
• Add a half jigger of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.
• Add a half jigger of Campari.
• Shake the cocktail and strain it into the serving glass.
• Top with Champagne.
• Garnish with a grapefruit peel.

Champagne Harvey Wallbanger

Galliano is an Italian-made liqueur with a complex taste including notes of anise, vanilla, juniper berry and lavender. The addition of Galliano sets the Harvey Wallbanger apart from the much simpler screwdriver. Popular during the 1970s, the Harvey Wallbanger is a unique cocktail that’s overdue for a comeback. Although it’s often sweetened with simple syrup, we think that the Galliano and orange juice add more than enough sweetness on their own. The effervescence of Champagne adds a completely new dimension of flavor to this cocktail.

Ingredients:

• Vodka
• Galliano
• Orange
• Champagne
• Orange slice (for garnish)

Recipe:

Prepare an ice-filled highball glass for serving.

• Place a jigger of vodka in the glass.
• Add two jiggers of freshly squeezed orange juice.
• Add Champagne until the glass is nearly full. Stir to combine.
• Top the glass with a half jigger of Galliano.
• Garnish with an orange slice.