The method you use to hold your champagne glass might seem irrelevant. After all, while holding your champagne glass properly is a big part of proper etiquette, it doesn’t seem like it would influence your experience drinking the champagne.
Holding your champagne glass properly is an important part of etiquette for a reason. Holding your champagne glass properly ensures that it stays at the best temperature for drinking, and it can make drops and spills more unlikely, too. Here is everything you need to know about holding a champagne glass.
All You Need to Know About Holding a Champagne Glass
How to Hold a Champagne Flute
You can hold a champagne flute glass properly by pinching the middle of the stem between your thumb and forefinger. If you want to swirl the glass and observe the color and carbonation more easily, you can hold the glass toward the base and stabilize it with your pinky.
The champagne flute is the most popular glass used for champagne, so you’re likely to encounter it on the next occasion you order it. For this reason, it’s important to remember how the glassware can be held appropriately.
Due to the design of the flute glass, you’ll find that drinking from a champagne flute and holding it properly elevates your experience with the beverage. The tall and narrow design of the champagne flute allows the carbonated bubbles to gather and the drink's aroma to settle in the glass, making for a wonderful drinking experience.
Flutes are perfect for elevating your champagne-drinking experience and reducing the likelihood of a spill. Due to the design of the glassware, you’ll find that using champagne flutes maximizes the carbonation and aroma of your champagne. However, using flutes only allows you to pour very small servings.
How to Hold a Champagne Coupe
If you want to hold a champagne coupe properly, you should support the glass by pinching the upper part of the stem between your thumb and forefinger. You should use your pinky to stabilize the base. Holding the upper portion of the stem is essential to preventing spills with this shallow glass.
While the coupe glass isn’t particularly popular today, it was the first type of glass used to drink champagne. It first became popular during the late 1830s in England. Unlike the thin and tall champagne glasses used today, the champagne coupe has a bowl shaped like a wide and shallow saucer.
Champagne coupe glasses are commonly used to elicit an old-style elegance. Unfortunately, these glasses aren’t ideal for enjoying the best qualities of your champagne. The wide and shallow design of the bowl harms the aroma and carbonation that makes champagne so delicious.
Coupes are best used when you want to enjoy a larger amount of champagne. The wide bowl of the glass allows you to drink a large amount of champagne, but it will result in the aroma and carbonation dissipating much more quickly. Coupes are prone to spilling and should be handled carefully.
How to Hold a Champagne Tulip
Much like the champagne flute, you should hold a champagne tulip glass by pinching your thumb and forefinger around the middle of the stem. You can use your pinky finger to stabilize the glass's base and make it easier to swirl the champagne
The champagne tulip glass has never held the same popularity as a flute or coupe glass, but it’s safe to say that it offers one of the best experiences you can have when drinking champagne. Much like the champagne flute, the champagne tulip allows carbonation and aroma to gather at the top of the glass.
Unlike the champagne flute, however, the champagne tulip offers significantly more room for your serving of champagne. The bowl widens at the middle and narrows at the top, ensuring you can enjoy the best qualities of both flutes and coupes without the cons.
Tips for Holding Your Champagne Glass Properly
1. Position Your Hand on the Stem to Improve Stability or Leverage
Your experience when holding your glass of champagne depends on where you position your hand. If you want maximum control over the glass of champagne, you should hold it toward the top of the stem. If you wish to have enough leverage to easily swirl your champagne (and have a better view of the carbonation and color), you should hold the glass of champagne toward the base.
2. Choose Your Champagne Glass Type to Maximize Your Preferred Experience
The type of champagne glass you use can greatly impact your drinking experience. For this reason, selecting the right type of champagne glass is essential. Champagne flutes are best for the iconic experience, while champagne coupes are best for drinking a large amount of champagne. Champagne tulips provide an ideal balance but lack any appeal based on tradition.
3. Use Your Palm to Warm Champagne That Was Served Too Cold
Generally, it’s advised to never allow your palm to come in contact with your glass of champagne — even when using a stemless glass. If your champagne was served too cold, using your palms to warm the champagne can heighten your drinking experience. As you gain experience with drinking champagne, you’ll easily be able to tell if a cold temperature is muting the flavors of your favorite champagne.
4. Drink Your Champagne Shortly After It’s Poured
If you want to enjoy your glass of champagne to the fullest extent, one of the most important things you can do is drink it shortly after it’s poured. As the champagne is left in the glass, it will gradually warm up and decarbonate. As champagne is meant to be served ice-cold and completely carbonated, a glass that is allowed to sit for too long might be completely ruined.
Conclusion
If you want to elevate your champagne-drinking experience, one of the most important things you can do is hold your glass of champagne properly. Different techniques are advised for holding the glasses depending on the type of champagne glass you use. Ultimately, using the right kind of glass and handling it correctly can make your champagne taste much better.
