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We love sipping these sparkling wine cocktails and you will too. Not only are they ideal for celebrating the beginning, middle or end of an evening, but they also have bubbles. Most important – they all taste great.
Sparkling cocktails have become a sunset phenomenon all over Europe in recent years. Go to any place, praça, piazza, platz or square around 6 in the evening and you’ll observe mobs of people gathered under umbrellas with bright orange Aperol Spritzes gripped in their hands. In the distant future, people may look at old photos in befuddlement wondering: “What’s with all the orange drinks?”
But the sparkling cocktail rage has grown beyond the Aperol Spritz. Today, it’s possible to order range of spectacular sparkling libations in various colors and flavors.
And why not? Bubbles in a glass tease the eyes before they tickle the tongue. Even that happy fizzing sound pleases the senses.
Why Do Sparkling Wine Cocktails Sparkle?
All that sparkles in cocktails isn’t champagne.
Sure, champagne is the most famous sparkling wine. But, make no mistake, other sparkling wines work equally well in bubbly cocktails despite their differences in geography and terroir.
In fact, when it comes to crafting sparkling wine cocktails, we’d argue that champagne isn’t necessarily the best sparkling wine to use and we’d probably win the argument. For starters, the idea of using champagne in Italian spritzes is as frivolous as it is incorrect. But this isn’t just the case with Italian cocktails.
Plus, when you use a different sparkling wine, you can save your bottle of champagne for a special occasion that warrants a splurge. Think about ringing in the new year with a champagne cocktail and you get the drift. You’ll achieve effervescence either way.
Sparkling Cocktails Around the World
Spritzes have soared in popularity – none more so than the aforementioned Aperol Spritz. It’s practically impossible to find a bar in Europe that doesn’t serve the bitter orange spritz. The drink is growing in popularity in the USA too. Even TikTok has joined the spritz movement, popularizing the Negroni Sbagliato decades after the ‘Negroni with Prosecco’ was invented.
Ironically, while Italians get credit for inventing many of the most popular spritzes, the spritz concept became popular in Austria (the word spritz derives from German word spritzen) where you can still drink great spritzes in cities like Vienna and Graz. Then there’s the French who get credit for creating sparkling cocktails including the ever-popular French 75 as well as the Kir Royale.
Ideal to sip at the end of a long day or as a celebration of life, these are our favorite sparkling wine cocktails to craft at home:
7 of the Best Sparkling Wine Cocktails
The Aperol Spritz is the quintessential aperitivo cocktail in Italy. (Sorry Negroni fans!) Discover the story behind the classic Italian cocktail and learn how to craft one at home.
Are you craving a sophisticated cocktail made with gin and champagne? If so, try our classic French 75 recipe with Cointreau added for balance and an extra punch. You can make it at home with just five ingredients plus ice.
The Limoncello Spritz hails from Italy but you don’t have to hop on a plane to sip the sweet lemony aperitivo. Instead, follow our step-by-step Limoncello Spritz recipe and sip the Italian lemon spritz at home.
The Negroni Sbagliato was allegedly invented by mistake. Fast forward 50 years and this mistaken ‘Negroni with Prosecco’ has become a worldwide sensation. Join the hype and craft one at home.
The Bellini cocktail may be the most delightful cocktail of them all. With just two ingredients (peach purée and Prosecco), it’s easy to craft. It’s also bubbly, sweet and peachy. Plus, it’s pleasantly pink. And who doesn’t like pink cocktails?
Move over Aperol Spritz! Italy’s Hugo Spritz is an ideal summer sipper that’s ready for its moment. You’ll understand once you take your first delicious sip. Consider yourself warned that your first sip won’t be your last.
With just three ingredients, the Kir Royale is proof that less can be more. An elegant drink that’s super easy to craft at home, this Champagne cocktail is appropriately festive for any holiday or special occasion.
Sparkling Wine FAQs
Love it or hate it, the Aperol Spritz is currently the most popular sparkling cocktail.
Aperol, Prosecco, Sparkling Water, Ice Cubes and Orange (for garnish)
No! You can use other sparkling wines like Cava and Prosecco to craft sparkling wine cocktails.
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About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: July 15, 2023
