For the holidays (and for life): all the champagne cocktails you need to know

In principle, one can be of the opinion that a good champagne should simply be drunk as it is. I fondly recall that invitation to a Franco-English wedding in Picardy: from 7 pm to 4 am I only drank champagne. Exclusively. And the next morning I had no hangover. Champagne! Tout le monde!

The venerable champagne cocktails are nevertheless among the absolute classics of drinks and are damn delicious too. And also something suitable for a New Year’s Eve aperitif or a New Year’s party! Here come 16 classics!

The grandfather of all champagne cocktails!

Put a sugar cube in a champagne glass and sprinkle generously with Angostura. Fill the glass with champagne.

Pour the crème de cassis into a chilled champagne glass. Carefully fill the glass with champagne.

After this Canon of 75mm model 1897 Named after the French World War I field gun, considered the first modern artillery piece and a symbol of stopping the German invasion.

This cocktail was invented at the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during World War I, where it first gained popularity among Allied pilots.

Pour the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes, shake well and strain into a champagne glass; fill with champagne. Garnish with a cocktail cherry if desired.

Like the French 75, only with Grand Marnier instead of gin. Because actually – actually – the French is toned down with the addition of jenever. The Grand Marnier orange liqueur, on the other hand, does all francais!

Pour Grand Marnier and lemon juice into a champagne glass; fill with champagne. Garnish with a lemon zest.

And here’s a “75” variation with some Angostura hardness:

Pour the Cointreau and Bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice, shake well and strain into a champagne glass; fill with champagne. Garnish with a lemon zest.

Pour the St. Germain and champagne into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes and stir gently. Top up with soda water and garnish with a lemon zest.

Black beer and champagne. Probably the most masculine of all cocktails. James Bond drinks it. To ask?

Fill a glass halfway with beer. Top off the rest with champagne. (It is advisable to pour the champagne into the glass with the back of a spoon.)

No, not AmericanObut Americana. Female. And it goes like this:

Pour bourbon, maple syrup and angostura into a cocktail glass and top up with Prosecco. Garnish with a cherry.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes, combine the bourbon, Cointreau and bitters and stir gently. Strain into a chilled champagne flute or coupe. Top up with champagne and garnish with a piece of lemon zest.

And another Hemingway drink! Let’s let the writers do the talking!

And then:

So good there’s even a song for it. And what a! Slim Gaillard’s “Atomic Cocktail”:

Pour the vodka, brandy and sherry into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes and stir gently. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the three-eyed fish from the Simpsons toy set.

A bit summery perhaps, but sparkling enough for the New Year’s Eve party.

Peel the peach, puree in a blender and strain through a sieve into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Gently mix the fruit puree with the liqueur and the ice-cold Prosecco. Strain into a champagne glass.

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini or coupe glass. Float some champagne on top and garnish with a lime zest.

Pour orange juice into a chilled champagne glass. Top up with champagne. Add some Grand Marnier if you like.

Pour cognac and Grand Marnier into a chilled champagne glass. Top up with champagne.

In a mixing glass filled with ice cubes, add the rum, lime juice and honey and stir well. Pour into a cocktail or coupe glass with ice and top up with champagne.