Black Velvet Cocktail Recipe
Stout and champagne poured in equal parts — dark at the bottom, pale foam on top, and drier than either alone.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Flute glass
- ABV: 9%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Stout beer90 ml (3 oz)
- Champagne90 ml (3 oz)
How to Make It
- Half-fill a flute with cold champagne.
- Pour the stout slowly over the back of a spoon so it settles on top.
- Do not stir.
- Serve immediately.
Garnish
None
What it tastes like
It has a bitter backbone and it is carbonated.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A narrow, tall flute. The slim opening is what keeps sparkling wine fizzing longest: there is very little surface for the bubbles to escape from.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Champagne
- Sparkling wine from the Champagne region. Cocktails call for brut; demi-sec noticeably sweetens the drink and makes the recipe's syrup redundant.
The Story
Mixed at Brooks's Club in London in 1861 to mark the death of Prince Albert, on the reasoning that even the champagne should be in mourning.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Black Velvet mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a flute.
- How strong is a Black Velvet?
- Roughly 9% ABV as served — lighter than a beer — a long-conversation drink that takes a second round.
- Can a Black Velvet be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Black Velvet hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.