You Can Use Champagne As A Bourbon Mixer, But Should You?

While bourbon can be enjoyed straight up on its own, it's also a fun spirit to use in a cocktail or even a simple mixed drink. There's an endless list of drinks to make with bourbon, from the classic old fashioned to a fruity bourbon smash, but you don't have to get too fancy with shakers and syrups to make an enjoyable mixed drink. Even a simple three-ingredient bourbon cocktail can hit the spot. That said, when it comes to picking the right mixer, not every choice is going to stand up equally to the rich, sweet notes of bourbon.

Some mixology enthusiasts recommend combining bourbon and Champagne for a contrasting flavor and carbonation explosion. The mixture is the basis for drinks like Kentucky 75, a bourbon-ified take on a French 75, and a Seelbach cocktail, which also incorporates orange liqueur. However, some experts warn against mixing these disparate drinks — not due to their differences, but due to their similar dryness.

"The short answer is yes, you can use the two by adding in a bunch of syrups, juices, and other flavors. The long answer is, 'Should you?'" says Robert Sloma, the bar manager at License No. 1 in Boulder, Colorado. "Bourbon is meant to utilize the oak; that's what makes bourbon great," he explains. "With age comes more oak and more tannins and more flavor complexity." Adding Champagne would only increase the drying effect of the tannins. "It would be hard to produce saliva when consuming a cocktail like this," Sloma says.

To mix bourbon and Champagne without drying out your palette, expert bartender Robert Sloma recommends using a very particular kind of bourbon and giving it special treatment. "The only way I see it working is finding a four-year, high-corn mashbill, barrel-proof bourbon finished in a Fino sherry cask (which is also made from American Oak, typically)," he says. If you're not exactly sure where to start, it's worth familiarizing yourself with the essential rules to follow when buying bourbon.

"I would then clarify it with milk or something fun to strip it of its oak presence and tannins, hopefully leaving behind a subtle nuttiness from the sherry and a lighter bourbon overall," Sloma continues. Clarified cocktails improve the taste of harsh alcoholic spirits by using milk and an acid (like lemon juice) to curdle, trap, and strain out any impurities and bitter flavor compounds from the drink.

When it comes to constructing the actual cocktail, reach for bold and complementary flavors. "The bourbon and bubbly need to take a back seat to something more dominant that can be the star of the show," Sloma advises. "Something fun I could see working between the Fino-finished clarified bourbon and Champagne could be saffron, cardamom, and maybe some elderflower or a fortified wine." He would age the bourbon with these ingredients in an oak barrel for a month before adding the Champagne and lemon juice and serving. Finally, Sloma says, stay away from overly dry Champagne, and show restraint when adding your bubbly and bourbon. He recommends using only 2 ounces of Champagne and 2.5 ounces of the aged bourbon with .75 ounces of lemon juice.