What Drinks Mix With Champagne For 2-Ingredient Bubbly Cocktails?

There's just something about a glass of bubbly that feels so elevated and luxurious. And even though picking a good bottle of champagne without breaking the bank can seem intimidating, it's really not that difficult. Not to mention, it's essential when you're using that champagne (which is different from regular wine, by the way) to make some fizzy cocktails — the more affordable the bottles, the more cocktails you can make, right?

You may wonder which of those mixed drinks are the best for you to try. To find out, we spoke to Roger Kamholz, author of Pour Together, a cocktail recipe book specializing in 2-ingredient drinks that will tantalize your tastebuds. And when it comes to making drinks using champagne as the star ingredient, Kamholz had some ideas. "A few of my favorite Champagne cocktails include the Kir Royale, the Death in the Afternoon, and the Champagne Velvet," Kamholz said. "Each is very different, showing off the versatility of champagne as a cocktail ingredient."

Now you may be wondering what exactly is the second ingredient in Kamholz's suggestions. Not to worry, we're going to go more in-depth on those recommendations — plus a few more — so you can feel confident making some easy and delicious 2-ingredient cocktails the next time you pop that bottle of champagne.

A classic French champagne cocktail suggested by Kamholz, the Kir Royale is known for its dazzling red hue and subtly sweet yet tart flavor. It's made with créme de cassis, which is a French blackcurrant liqueur that possesses all the same qualities as blackcurrants, meaning it has a rich sweetness to it while also adding an intense tartness — just like the fruit.

When making this cocktail, simply add about a half ounce of cassis to a champagne flute and then fill the rest with bubbly. You can garnish with fresh fruit, like raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, or even a beautiful lemon twist if you're feeling extra fancy.

Another favorite of Kamholz's, Death in the Afternoon, is a beloved literary cocktail that's said to have been invented by Ernest Hemingway and highlighted in his 1932 book of the same name. The cocktail is made with champagne (of course) and absinthe, an anise-flavored liquor known for its vibrant green color and old folklore stories of causing hallucinations (namely, sightings of the famous Green Fairy). Of course, hallucinations don't actually occur when drinking modern absinthe, but it's still fun to think about.

When making this cocktail, do as Hemingway suggests in his book: "Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly." If you happen to spot any fabled fairies, gulp a glass or two of water before proceeding. 

Also known as a black velvet, Kamholz's other suggestion, the Champagne Velvet, is a cocktail perfect for those who want a little fizz married up with the deep, rich flavors of a dark beer. Allegedly invented in London as a drink served while England was in mourning, this cocktail rose to fame after the death of Prince Albert in 1861.

While you can use any preferred dark beer, Kamholz suggested a Guinness Stout would work beautifully here. Fill your glass (we love a classic champagne flute to be extra fancy) about halfway with beer. When using Guinness, let that settle for about a minute. Then, you can either slowly fill the rest of the glass with champagne right from the bottle, or you can try your hand at layering the drink — aka when you see a distinct color difference between the light champagne on top and the dark beer on the bottom. To accomplish this, turn a spoon rounded side up and let it hover over the beer. Slowly pour the champagne onto the spoon, letting it cascade off so that it floats on top of the beer, creating a gorgeous layered loo

A classic cocktail made from orange juice and champagne, a mimosa is a beloved brunch drink that you may have spotted on a bottomless mimosa menu at your favorite weekend eatery. When it comes to fresh or bottled orange juice, you really can't go wrong with either. "For a mimosa, you can get away with bottled OJ, but juice the oranges yourself if that's feasible," Kamholz said.

When it comes to measurements, you'll want a heavier hand on the champagne here. "A 2:1 ratio of [champagne] to the fruit ingredient is a good balance," Kamholz said. "Too much fruit can overpower the [champagne] and drown out the carbonation."

Another popular brunch cocktail, a bellini is similar to a mimosa in that it's made of champagne (Veuve Clicquot is known as the best champagne to use for bellinis, by the way) and a fruit-based second ingredient. The difference here is that bellinis are typically made with peach puree, so they can have a bit of a thicker consistency (although you can use peach juice in a pinch).

"In my book, Pour Together, the Bellini recipe calls for fresh (or frozen) peach puree, and that is key to a delicious version of this classic Italian cocktail," Kamholz said. "At Harry's Bar, where the drink was invented, they use white peaches in their Bellini, which lends the drink a beautiful color as well." Similar to a mimosa, Kamholz also suggested using a 2:1 ratio of champagne to puree for this drink.