Champagne Cup Punch
A refreshing, bubbly and citrus cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.7% ABV ∙
The Champagne Cup Punch is a sparkling wine cocktail of Cognac, orange liqueur, and maraschino cherry syrup, stirred and topped with dry sparkling wine.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir the first 3 ingredients with ice: Cognac 25 mlCognac orange liqueur (e.g., Grand Marnier) 15 mlMaraschino cherries syrup 10 ml
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Top with Dry sparkling wine and briefly stir
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
- Note: Can be scaled up and served from a punch bowl or a large pitcher
Tips
- The sparkling wine goes in with no ice, so stir the Cognac, orange liqueur, and cherry syrup until really cold before straining.
History
The Champagne Cup belongs to the English tradition of "cups," chilled wine-based mixed drinks served in tall glasses with fruit, herbs, and ice that were a fixture of Victorian-era garden parties and summer entertaining, alongside relatives like claret cup. Champagne, being a luxury import, made its cup version a particular status marker at high-society gatherings in nineteenth-century London.
The drink was codified in print in the twentieth century, with Harry Craddock including a Champagne Cup recipe in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, and Leo Cotton, editor of the Mr. Boston bartender's guide, publishing his own version in 1935 dressed with orange and pineapple slices, cucumber peel, and mint. These printed recipes helped fix the "cup" format of brandy or liqueur combined with sparkling wine and fruit garnish as a distinct category from the single-glass Champagne Cocktail.
FAQ
How do you make a champagne punch?
Stir 25 ml Cognac, 15 ml orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, and 10 ml maraschino cherry syrup with ice until very cold, since the glass gets no ice. Strain into a chilled flute, top with 60 ml dry sparkling wine, and stir briefly. Garnish with a maraschino cherry; for a crowd, scale it up in a punch bowl or pitcher.
What are the ingredients in a Champagne Cup Punch?
Cognac, an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, maraschino cherry syrup, and dry sparkling wine, with a maraschino cherry garnish.
Is a Champagne Cup Punch shaken or stirred?
Stirred. The Cognac, orange liqueur, and cherry syrup are stirred with ice and strained; the sparkling wine goes in last with only a brief stir, since shaking would knock out its carbonation.
What glass is a Champagne Cup Punch served in?
A flute. Its narrow shape keeps the bubbles longer than a wide-mouthed glass.
