The Art of Champagne Events

You’ve probably been to plenty of events where you were met with a nice chilled glass of bubbly, but were any of those drinks particularly memorable?

Champagne (or even sparkling wine) has become a standard ‘welcome drink’, you will find it included in many catering packages, and most certainly at package Christmas parties! A classic for sure, but would you miss it?

For those of you not brave (or adventurous) enough to do away with the fizz completely, here are a few ways to liven up the traditional event welcome drink:

Sabrage

At most champagne events the bottles are opened quietly behind the bar and glasses filled in advance of guest arrival, whilst this is necessary when welcoming large numbers you can still inject a little showmanship by slicing the top off the bottles using the traditional art of Sabrage. Check out this video from Difford’s Guide to see how it’s done.

Walking Tables

Whatever your event theme there is a human table costume to suit it! The Olympic torch, a comedy granny and classic Union Jack are just a few examples. Experienced staff don extravagant costumes to serve everything from champagne and canapes to cupcakes and finger food to your guests.

Aerial Service

Trained acrobats wow your guests by pouring champagne from the air as they arrive at your venue! Choreographed acts can be produced with multiple acrobats on rigged hoops or a stunning ‘champagne’ chandelier. Ceiling height and rigging restrictions are dependent on the venue though.

Historic Champagne Cocktails

Possibly the most famous cocktail recipe selection of all time; ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’ by Harry Craddock (first published in 1930) contains some divine creations. Our absolute favourite is the French 75.
Made with gin, fresh lemon juice, simple sugar syrup and of course Champagne, the inspiration for the name was apparently due as a tribute to the 75mm Howitzer field gun that the French and Americans used in World War 1 – the French 75 cocktail was said to have such a kick that it felt like being hit by that piece of weaponry.

Contemporary Champagne Cocktails

Classic champagne cocktails such as the bellini and mimosa are being updated with contemporary flavours like blood orange or lavender.

Glassware

A flute or a coupette (pictured)? Legend has it that the first 18th century coupe was modeled on the breast of Marie Antoinette, more recently supermodel Kate Moss celebrated 25 years in fashion in the same style – read more about that here.
Your choice may depend on the setting for your event; flutes are thin and tall thus more can be displayed for events with large numbers, but coupettes have a more glamorous feel for smaller intimate events (as proved by Ms Moss!)

Talk to our team for more champagne events ideas that will make your event stand out! For a FREE proposal contact us on Sales@EffectiveEventSolutions.com