A sparkling cocktail perfect for ringing in the New Year. This champagne margarita is both smooth and strong. Learn how to make a single drink or a whole pitcher of these champagne cocktails and start celebrating!
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A margarita is the classic tequila cocktail. It combines smooth tequila with the tang of lime and citrus flavor. On the rocks or blended, a quality margarita is always a crowd pleaser.
This New Year’s Eve shake up this classic summer drink by adding a little champagne or sparkling wine. Topping off a margarita with bubbly will instantly make this drink party worthy.
Let’s start with the basics, before you can make this cocktail you need to know how to make a simple classic margarita.
How to make a margarita
Start with the following ingredients and tools
Start with a slice of lime and run it over the rim of a glass. You can use any type of glass for a margarita, I like a cocktail glass like the one in these images but really any glass will do!
Once the rim is coated, dip the edge into a dish of salt. The salt pairs nicely with the citrus from the lime and triple sec. You can buy rimming salt, or use table salt from your pantry.
Fill a shaker with ice and add equal parts tequila, lime juice and triple sec. Shake and strain into the cocktail glass filled with ice.
That’s the easy way to whip up a quick margarita. Start with equal parts of each ingredient then adjust based on your preference. You may want a little less lime or triple sec to cut back on the citrus, or more tequila! This is a strong cocktail, and it has a way of sneaking up on you so mix it up wisely.
Garnish the margarita with a wedge of lime and serve it up.
What tequila is best for a margarita?
Tequila comes in a variety of types and styles. It is a Mexican spirit made from the blue agave plant. To make a great cocktail, start with quality ingredients. Always look for 100% agave tequila versus a mixed variety. Silver or white tequila is ideal for mixing up a margarita.
Champagne Margarita
Now for the fun part, turn that classic cocktail into a New Year’s Eve party drink. Follow the steps above for making a margarita. Shake and pour into an ice filled glass and top with champagne.
Champagne is a specific type of sparkling wine made in a region of France. For this recipe I used champagne, however you can substitute your favorite sparkling wine. The flavor of the wine or champagne will either give you a sweet cocktail or a tart version that tastes more like a margarita.
Play around with the ratios of ingredients in the margarita as well as the type of sparkling wine until you find the perfect combination.
Champagne Margarita
A sparkling cocktail perfect for a party
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounce Silver tequila
- 1.5 ounce Lime Juice
- 1.5 ounce Triple Sec
- Champagne
- Rimming Salt
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
Slice a lime into wedges and run a wedge along the rim of a cocktail glass.
Dip the rim of the glass into salt and set the glass aside.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine tequila, lime juice and triple sec. Shake and strain into the cocktail glass over fresh ice.
Top with champagne and a wedge of lime.
Enjoy!
Notes
To vary this cocktail try adjusting the ratio of the classic margarita ingredients. You can use any variety of sparkling wine for this drink. A sweeter or more dry version will alter the final result.
To make a big batch of this champagne margarita fill a pitcher with ice and combine equal parts of tequila, lime juice and triple sec until the pitcher is half full. Stir then top with champagne.
A few notes about bar tools
If you enjoy cocktails or want to improve your drink making skills it’s helpful to invest in a few basic tools.
Cocktail shaker: A shaker like this one helps you combine ingredients over ice so your drink is cold but not watered down. A shaker does a much better job combining liquids then simply stirring a drink.
Jigger: A metal hourglass shaped measuring device with 2 ends for measuring ingredients. One end is 1 1/2 ounces or a jigger. The other end is half of that, 3/4 ounce. This tool helps you easily measure and balance ingredients.
Ready to celebrate the New Year with this champagne cocktail?
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More champagne cocktails for your party
And another favorite I know you will want to try.
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