Cocktail bar: Classic champagne

Cocktail bar: Classic champagne (Photo: iStock)

The origins of the Champagne Cocktail are not tied to a single, well-documented creator but rather to the evolution of American mixology in the mid-19th century. Early recipes, such as one from an 1855 book, described a simple combination of bitters-soaked sugar, ice, and sparkling wine. The cocktail gained more widespread recognition with its inclusion in Jerry Thomas’ influential 1862 book, How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant’s Companion. Thomas’ recipe, like the one before it, did not include brandy.

The drink’s modern form, which adds brandy or cognac, became more common later in the 19th century. This variation is often attributed to a bartender named John Dougherty who is said to have won a New York cocktail competition with his brandy-enhanced version in 1889. Over time, the drink’s association with sophistication and celebration cemented its status as a timeless classic, appearing in everything from high-society events to classic films like Casablanca. Today, the recipe is a standard: a sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters and a touch of brandy, all topped with chilled Champagne.