6 sophisticated Champagne cocktails from luxury hotel bars
Looking for a Champagne cocktail with a little more pizzazz than the traditional mimosa? Look no further. Around the turn of the 20th century, many luxury hotel bars crafted their own Champagne cocktails to celebrate the era’s opulence. These beverages boosted revenue by mixing expensive Champagne with spirits and modifiers to suit refined tastes while setting the standard for modern glamour. Choose one or more of the following sophisticated Champagne cocktails to elevate your next menu.
The Ritz 75 (Ritz Paris)
Like the mimosa, the Ritz 75 cocktail originated at the Ritz Paris. The beverage is a signature, citrus-forward variation of the classic French 75 cocktail, refined by bartender Colin Peter Field at Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz. While the original French 75 was invented in Paris around 1915, this specific, modern variation was popularized at the Ritz in the late 20th century.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz gin
- 1.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 oz fresh mandarin juice
- 1 tsp simple syrup or sugar
- Top with Champagne
- Lime and mandarin wheels/rinds for garnish
Preparation:
- Combine the lemon juice, mandarin juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and the gin to the shaker, and shake vigorously.
- Pour the mixture into two Champagne flutes.
- Top with Champagne.
- Garnish with lime and mandarin slices.
The Ritz 75 (Ritz Paris)
Like the mimosa, the Ritz 75 cocktail originated at the Ritz Paris. The beverage is a signature, citrus-forward variation of the classic French 75 cocktail, refined by bartender Colin Peter Field at Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz. While the original French 75 was invented in Paris around 1915, this specific, modern variation was popularized at the Ritz in the late 20th century.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz gin
- 1.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 oz fresh mandarin juice
- 1 tsp simple syrup or sugar
- Top with Champagne
- Lime and mandarin wheels/rinds for garnish
Preparation:
- Combine the lemon juice, mandarin juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and the gin to the shaker, and shake vigorously.
- Pour the mixture into two Champagne flutes.
- Top with Champagne.
- Garnish with lime and mandarin slices.
Death in the Afternoon (Bar Hemingway)
Bar Hemingway is well known for the Ritz 75, but fewer are familiar with Death in the Afternoon—a concoction from Ernest Hemingway himself. Created by Hemingway in 1932, this Champagne cocktail is often called “The Hemingway” or “Hemingway Champagne”, and it turns opalescent as the Champagne mixes with absinthe.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz absinthe
- 4.5 oz chilled Champagne
- Lemon twist garnish (optional)
Preparation:
- Pour the absinthe into a chilled champagne flute or coupe glass.
- Slowly top with the cold Champagne.
- Per Hemingway, “Drink three to five of these slowly.”
Death in the Afternoon (Bar Hemingway)
Bar Hemingway is well known for the Ritz 75, but fewer are familiar with Death in the Afternoon—a concoction from Ernest Hemingway himself. Created by Hemingway in 1932, this Champagne cocktail is often called “The Hemingway” or “Hemingway Champagne”, and it turns opalescent as the Champagne mixes with absinthe.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz absinthe
- 4.5 oz chilled Champagne
- Lemon twist garnish (optional)
Preparation:
- Pour the absinthe into a chilled champagne flute or coupe glass.
- Slowly top with the cold Champagne.
- Per Hemingway, “Drink three to five of these slowly.”
The King’s Champagne Cocktail (King Cole Bar)
The King’s Champagne Cocktail from the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis (New York) is a staple of the historic Manhattan venue, often served alongside their famous Red Snapper Bloody Mary.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
- 1 sugar cube
- Angostura bitters
- 4 oz Champagne
Preparation:
- Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters.
- Drop the cube into a champagne flute.
- Add the sweet vermouth.
- Top with chilled Champagne.
The King’s Champagne Cocktail (King Cole Bar)
The King’s Champagne Cocktail from the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis (New York) is a staple of the historic Manhattan venue, often served alongside their famous Red Snapper Bloody Mary.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
- 1 sugar cube
- Angostura bitters
- 4 oz Champagne
Preparation:
- Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters.
- Drop the cube into a champagne flute.
- Add the sweet vermouth.
- Top with chilled Champagne.
Fleurissimo (Connaught Bar)
The Fleurissimo cocktail was created at the renowned Connaught Bar at the Connaught Hotel (London). A tribute to Grace Kelly, the drink was inspired by Creed Fleurissimo, the perfume commissioned by Prince Rainier for Grace to wear on her wedding day in 1956. Floral, elegant and unmistakably luxurious, the cocktail combines Champagne with violet liqueur for a delicate, perfumed profile that feels tailor-made for grand occasions.
Ingredients:
- .5 oz Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac
- 1 tsp Crème de Violette
- 1 white sugar cube
- 5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- Top with Champagne
- 1 rose petal for garnish
Preparation:
- Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters.
- Drop the cube into a champagne flute.
- Add the sweet vermouth.
- Top with chilled Champagne.
Fleurissimo (Connaught Bar)
The Fleurissimo cocktail was created at the renowned Connaught Bar at the Connaught Hotel (London). A tribute to Grace Kelly, the drink was inspired by Creed Fleurissimo, the perfume commissioned by Prince Rainier for Grace to wear on her wedding day in 1956. Floral, elegant and unmistakably luxurious, the cocktail combines Champagne with violet liqueur for a delicate, perfumed profile that feels tailor-made for grand occasions.
Ingredients:
- .5 oz Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac
- 1 tsp Crème de Violette
- 1 white sugar cube
- 5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- Top with Champagne
- 1 rose petal for garnish
Preparation:
- Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters.
- Drop the cube into a champagne flute.
- Add the sweet vermouth.
- Top with chilled Champagne.
The Boothby (Pied Piper Bar)
The Boothby cocktail was created in the early 1900s by famed bartender William “Cocktail Bill” Boothby at the Pied Piper Bar in the Palace Hotel (San Francisco). Richer and more spirit-forward than many Champagne cocktails, it quickly became a favorite in San Francisco’s grand hotel bar scene during the city’s post-earthquake revival.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz rye whiskey
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Champagne to top
- Lemon twist garnish
Directions
- Combine the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled flute or coupe.
- Top with Champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
The Boothby (Pied Piper Bar)
The Boothby cocktail was created in the early 1900s by famed bartender William “Cocktail Bill” Boothby at the Pied Piper Bar in the Palace Hotel (San Francisco). Richer and more spirit-forward than many Champagne cocktails, it quickly became a favorite in San Francisco’s grand hotel bar scene during the city’s post-earthquake revival.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz rye whiskey
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Champagne to top
- Lemon twist garnish
Directions
- Combine the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled flute or coupe.
- Top with Champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
The Seelbach (Seelbach Hilton)
As the story goes, the Seelbach cocktail originated at The Seelbach Hotel (Louisville) in the early 1900s. Rumor had it that in 1917, a bartender accidentally spilled Champagne into a guest’s Manhattan, creating a perfect mixture—but this story is pure fiction. In reality, the Seelbach was created in 1995 by bartender Adam Seger and marketed as a pre-Prohibition recipe to intrigue guests and boost the hotel’s reputation. Despite its dubious origins, the Seelbach still brings together both Kentucky heritage and luxury hotel sophistication in a single glass.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. bourbon
- .5 oz. triple sec
- 7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 5 oz. Champagne
- Orange peel garnish
Preparation:
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add bourbon, triple sec, and bitters.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well-chilled.
- Strain into a champagne flute.
- Top with sparkling wine.
- Express oils from an orange twist, then add as garnish.
The Seelbach (Seelbach Hilton)
As the story goes, the Seelbach cocktail originated at The Seelbach Hotel (Louisville) in the early 1900s. Rumor had it that in 1917, a bartender accidentally spilled Champagne into a guest’s Manhattan, creating a perfect mixture—but this story is pure fiction. In reality, the Seelbach was created in 1995 by bartender Adam Seger and marketed as a pre-Prohibition recipe to intrigue guests and boost the hotel’s reputation. Despite its dubious origins, the Seelbach still brings together both Kentucky heritage and luxury hotel sophistication in a single glass.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. bourbon
- .5 oz. triple sec
- 7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 5 oz. Champagne
- Orange peel garnish
Preparation:
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add bourbon, triple sec, and bitters.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well-chilled.
- Strain into a champagne flute.
- Top with sparkling wine.
- Express oils from an orange twist, then add as garnish.
Want to branch beyond Champagne?
Luxury hotel bars have also been the birthplace of cocktails like the Vieux Carré, Rob Roy, Hank Panky, and Singapore Sling.
Nicole Bump
Nicole is a seasoned content strategist and writer with 15+ years of experience turning complex ideas into compelling stories. As founder of Bump Inbound, she helps brands connect with audiences through thoughtful strategy, sharp planning, and standout writing.