This Downton Abbey-inspired Twinkle champagne cocktail is a great way to add a little sparkle to your celebrations. With its champagne top and glitzy name, this light, delicately flavored drink is ideal for New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day. 

No good party cocktail is complete without some show-stopping appetizers to pair it with. I almost never hose a dinner and drinks party without my favorite Garlic Roasted Shrimp, Easy and Elegant Meat and Cheese Board, or Dried Apricot and Blue Cheese Canapes with Walnuts

Be sure to sign up for my email… to get new recipes and ideas in your inbox!

Twinkle champagne cocktails on tray

Click HERE to save recipe to Pinterest!

Twinkle Champagne Cocktail

Guys, we are just days away from the end of the year! Sip Sip Hooray! 

Nothing helps you celebrate the start of a new year better than a cocktail as sophisticated as this Twinkle Champagne Cocktail! A little fizz, a dash of vodka, and a fruity surprise will make your night sparkle with delight. 

With only three simple ingredients, and easy as pie directions, in no time you’ll be feeling like the Lord or Lady of the house. No one will be able to resist this softly sweet and smooth concoction, so be ready to be mixing up this cocktail all night long! 

Downton Abbey Twinkle champagne cocktail with Elderflower Cordial

What is a Twinkle Cocktail?

Unless you are an avid Downton Abbey fan, you might not know exactly what a Twinkle cocktail is. Its origins began when bar legend, Tony Conigliaro created the signature cocktail specifically for the well-known show, Downton Abbey.

To match the shows sophisticated theme, this modern cocktail showcases champagne, vodka, and elderflower cordial for a drink that is soft, sparkling, and able to make everything twinkle.

What is Elderflower Cordial?

While you now know what the Twinkle cocktail is, the list of ingredients may be leading you to even more confusion. What is elderflower cordial?

To put it simply, it is a soft drink made largely from a refined sugar and water solution and uses the flowers of the European elderberry. In some countries, the drink can be found as an aromatic syrup, sold as a concentrated squash that is mixed with still or sparkling water.

Pouring champagne for a Twinkle cocktail

Champagne Cocktail Do’s and Dont’s

  • Do choose the right champagne: Most champagne cocktails are best with dry bubbles. This is because most cocktails call for other sweet ingredients, which balance out that dryness. If you lean toward sweeter cocktails, you can, of course, use sweeter sparkling wine. It’s totally up to you. For this recipe, I used a prosecco which is mid-range dry champagne.
  • Don’t fill the glass all at once: To avoid an overflow and a complete mess, don’t try to fill the glass in one pour. Instead, fill a few glasses up to an inch or so, and then returning to fill them a little more once the foam has settled.
  • Do chill the champagne: You should keep the bottle it in a cool, dry place. If you have a wine refrigerator, this is the best place to store it, as it doesn’t get as cold as a regular refrigerator. However, the temperature of your regular refrigerator will work just fine as well. 
  • Don’t put champagne in a shaker: I typically love to use a shaker to make sure my cocktails are thoroughly mixed, however, this is a huge no-no when it comes to champagne. Shaking the liquid after pouring it will destroy the bubbles and leave you with a lifeless, poor excuse for champagne. Instead, lightly stir your drink to mix the ingredients. 

Downton Abbey Twinkle champagne cocktail

Make This Champagne Cocktail Your Own

Make it a Mocktail: Want to make this elegant cocktail into a beverage anyone can enjoy? Do make your own royal-worthy mocktail just eliminate the vodka completely and use the Elderflower Cordial topped with sparkling apple juice. Then you have a fruity mocktail so even the kids can get in on the New Year toast.

Use A Flavored Vodka: This champagne cocktail already has a delightfully fruity essence, but if you want an even stronger fruit flavor, I have a quick fix for that. Try replacing the plain vodka with a lemon-infused vodka. This will enhance the already present lemon flavor without making it completely overbearing. 

Make Your Own Elderflower Cordial: Elderflower cordial can be found on Amazon and at stores like World Market, and local liquor stores. Just be sure to get the Elderflower Cordial NOT the elderflower lemonade. The bottles often look the same, but they are very different products!

If you can’t find the drink at any of your local stores, you can always make your own with this simple Elderflower cordial recipe

Twinkle champagne cocktail with lemon twist

Check Out Even More Sophisticated Drinks and Desserts!

Raspberry Kir Roalye Champagne Cocktail a champagne and Chambord cocktail that is sure to make any occasion feel extra special. Whether you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve, Valentines Day, or need a bubbly bridal brunch cocktail, mix up this bubbly recipe.

Best Pear Martini Cocktail Enjoy this cocktail for a holiday or everyday celebration, delicious garnished with a thin slice of pear, and a few bright pomegranate seeds! Delicious for a New Year’s Eve celebration!

Sparkling Cranberry Gin Cocktail his simple, refreshing gin cocktail is not only easy to make, it looks extra fancy when dressed up with fresh cranberries and lime wedges – the perfect way to add a little style to your holiday happy hour.

Black and Blue Berry Cobbler A dessert classic everyone loves!  Blackberries and blueberries are topped with a delicious biscuit-like dough and baked in ramekins for the perfect single-serving dessert.

Cabernet Chocolate Pudding A homemade chocolate pudding made with rich dark chocolate and it’s spiked with cabernet wine. It’s an easy no-bake dessert you can serve in the summer or winter time.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Raspberry Sauce Hawaiian bread soaked in a rich dark chocolate custard topped with more chocolate before being baked, served warm with raspberry sauce and Bailey’s whipped cream becomes a simple yet elegant bread pudding.

Like This Twinkle Champagne Cocktail? Pin It!pinterest-image

Twinkle champagne cocktail  photo collage

You’re Going To Love This Twinkle Champagne Cocktail!

Everyone needs a little twinkle of something good in their life, and this champagne cocktail is perfect to do just that! I was hooked from my very first sip, and I know you will be too. I can’t wait to hear if you love this recipe as much as I do!

We created a fun little group on facebook and I’d love for you to join in! It’s a place where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, home tips, creative ideas and ask questions and see what’s new with TidyMom! If you’d like to check it out, you can request to join HERE. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #tidymom so I can see all the wonderful TidyMom recipes YOU make and tips YOU use!

Connect with TidyMom! Facebook Twitter | Pinterest  |Instagram

Sign up to receive an email in your inbox for each new recipe:

FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION

Twinkle Champagne Cocktail

Twinkle Champagne Cocktail

Yield: 1 cocktail
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes

A Twinkle champagne cocktail is a great way to add a little sparkle to your celebrations. With its champagne top and glitzy name, this light, delicately flavored Downton Abbey-inspired drink is ideal for a New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce vodka, chilled
  • 1/2 ounce Elderflower cordial
  • prosecco (or champagne), chilled
  • lemon twist for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add vodka and elderflower to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Seal the shaker and give a short sharp shake or two.
  2. Pour into champagne flute or coupe glass and top with champagne.
  3. Garnish with a lemon twist and serve.

Notes

Feel free to alter the strength of this cocktail by the amount of vodka used.

Put champagne in the refrigerator and vodka in freezer about an hour before serving.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Twinkle champagne cocktail in a coupe glass