Bubbly and bright, this Rosemary Champagne Cocktail is perfect for toasting anything. Garnished with a sprig of rosemary, this sparkling, herbal drink can be enjoyed year-round.
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Rosemary Champagne Cocktail recipe
Happy first day of spring! I thought I’d share a champagne cocktail perfect for the season, the Rosemary Sparkler.
Though often used in cooking, rosemary makes for a great addition to cocktails. It’s bright, fragrant and pungent and adds a unique, woodsy flavor to dry champagne.
For this recipe, I made a rosemary simple syrup to use in lieu of a sugar cube. I also subbed vodka for the brandy to achieve a lighter flavor.
Garnish this rosemary cocktail with what else? A sprig of fresh rosemary.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Rosemary is a wonderful, year-round flavor. You can sip on this cocktail as you ring in the spring season or enjoy it for the holiday season.
- With delicate flavors, this Rosemary Champagne Cocktail is perfect for celebrating anything!
- You can customize it with vodka or gin or even add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Drink this refreshing cocktail in the summertime or enjoy it as a festive cocktail for holiday celebrations like a New Year’s Eve party!
The rosemary garnish makes this cocktail look so elegant. It would be perfect for celebrating anything awesome, and I hope you have lots of reasons to do just that. I especially love making this one for the Christmas season.
What is a champagne cocktail?
Let’s have a refresher on champagne cocktails.
The most classic champagne cocktail recipe starts with brandy. Top it with a dry champagne and drop in a sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters.
I’ve shared a few variations on classic champagne cocktails, including lavender, rose and lemon and thought an herbal variation would be welcome this spring.
For this recipe, I made a rosemary simple syrup to use in lieu of a sugar cube. It’s a simple way to bring in a hint of rosemary flavor.
I also subbed vodka for the brandy to achieve a lighter flavor. A botanical gin would also be super fragrant and delicious.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this gorgeous statement cocktail.
Rosemary simple syrup
This cocktail starts with an herbal simple syrup. All you need to make it are sugar, water and fresh rosemary. It comes together in about 15 minutes on the stove, but gets more fragrant the longer it infuses with the rosemary.
No rosemary? You can also use plain simple syrup instead.
You could also substitute mint, sage or basil to make other herbal syrups that would be just as delicious in this cocktail.
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The bright citrus flavors of lemon juice balance out the sweet, fragrant syrup and the dry champagne.
I always recommend fresh lemon juice if you have it on hand, but feel free to use a good quality lemon concentrate.
I use one of these citrus squeezers to get the most juice out of my citrus fruits.
Tip: Room temperature citrus is easier to juice than cold, refrigerated fruit. Set your citrus fruits out on the counter for a couple hours to warm up before juicing them.
Vodka
Pick up a bottle of quality vodka, somewhere in the $10-20 range. Use the best you can afford — that’s always my go-to advice for anything with drink mixing.
Anything super cheap will have a stronger alcohol taste, which will detract from the bright flavors of the lime, ginger and champagne.
In my Vodka 101 crash course, we talk about how to pick out a bottle of vodka, but my go-to brands right now are Tito’s, Deep Eddy and Absolut.
Feel free to substitute your favorite herbal gin if you like.
Sparkling wine
Because champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France, it can be a tad expensive.
Any kind of dry sparkling wine, such as cava or prosecco, will work here too. Look for “dry,” “brut” or “extra brut” on the label.
My guide to sparkling wine can help you pick out a bottle and tell you more about the different types.
A great budget buy is Freixenet or La Marca, which are both in the $12-15 range. They are good quality yet they don’t break the bank.
Make sure to chill the bottle of champagne for the best bubbles.
Garnish
Top off this cocktail with a sprig of fresh rosemary. You could also add a lemon slice or lemon twist, or even a few pomegranate seeds.
Variations and substitutions
Non-alcoholic rosemary cocktail: Skip the vodka and use sparkling lemonade instead of champagne.
Gin rosemary cocktail: Substitute a botanical gin for the vodka to elevate this cocktail with more herbal flavor. Hendrick’s Gin gets my vote for this cocktail.
Rosemary grapefruit cocktail: Switch out the lemon juice for grapefruit juice for a bright and bitter twist on this drink.
Glassware
You’ll want to serve this cocktail in coupe glasses or champagne flutes — especially for special occasions!
Adjust the size of the rosemary garnish to suit the glass: smaller pieces for coupe glasses or bigger sprigs for taller champagne glasses.
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How to make Rosemary Simple Syrup
For this cocktail, we’ll need a quick rosemary syrup. Here’s how to make it:
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and sprigs of rosemary over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool completely — with the rosemary sprigs — before using or storing. Discard rosemary sprigs before using the syrup.
Store it in an airtight container (like a mason jar or glass bottle) for up to 1 month.
How to make a Rosemary Champagne Cocktail
Once you have the syrup ready, you can put together this simple cocktail.
Add the cooled simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka to a champagne flute.
Then top with chilled, bubbly champagne and polish it off with a fresh rosemary sprig. Serve immediately!
More champagne cocktails
- Elderflower French 75
- Rose Champagne Cocktail
- Champagne Cocktail Bar
- Poinsettia Drink
- Champagne Moscow Mule
Rosemary Champagne Cocktail
ingredients
Rosemary Simple Syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Rosemary Champagne Cocktail
- 1 ounce rosemary simple syrup
- ½ ounce lemon juice optional
- 1 ½ ounces vodka or gin
- 3 ounces champagne
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary for garnish
instructions
Rosemary simple syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and rosemary sprigs over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool completely before using or storing. Discard rosemary sprigs. Store in a glass container for up to 1 month.
Rosemary champagne cocktail
- Add cooled simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka to a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.
notes
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Erika says
Yum! I’ve never used champagne in a mixed drink really… with the obvious exceptions of mixing it with OJ. This sounds delightful!
Sockmonkey's Kitchen says
oh wow – this looks lovely!