How to Chill Champagne

Co-authored by Murphy Perng

Last Updated: June 18, 2021

Champagne is a drink that's best served chilled. You can chill champagne in a bucket of ice or place a champagne bottle in the refrigerator. Though you should drink it cold, champagne should never be served over ice as this affects the taste and smell. With a little precision, it's fairly simple to chill champagne to perfection.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Quick Chill Methods

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Add some ice to a bucket. If you're in a pinch and need to chill champagne quickly, you can add salt to ice to speed up the chilling process. The salt draws heat out of the bottle of champagne, making it cool faster. To start, add some ice to a bucket of water. Add enough ice that, after adding about half a cup of water, you can submerge a bottle of champagne.
2
Pour a generous amount of salt over the ice. Take a salt container and open the lid. Quickly shake the container over the ice, getting a generous amount in the bucket.
3
Add water. About half a cup of tap water will usually do. You'll need to add enough that the ice is floating in the water, sort of like cereal in milk.
4
Leave the bottle for a few minutes. The champagne will cool quickly using this method. You only need to leave the bottle in the ice for a few minutes. It should cool off sufficiently in roughly 3 to 5 minutes.
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Serve your champagne. Remember to point the bottle away from breakable objects when un-corking the champagne. Tilt the bottle at a 45 degree angle when serving and fill a cup about three quarters of the way full.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Chilling in an Ice Bucket

1
Chill vintage champagne between 54 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Vintage champagne, which comes with years printed on the label, should be served between 54 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is best achieved by using an ice bucket. An ice bucket usually has a slightly warmer temperature than you would get in your fridge.^{[1]
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Fill a bucket with half ice and half water. Grab a bucket big enough to contain a bottle of champagne. Fill the bucket with ice. Submerge the champagne bottle into the ice, so just the tip of the bottle sticks out.^{[2]
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- You can use a small thermometer to test the temperature of your ice bucket. You can add more ice to chill the bucket more. You can also add a small amount of water if the bucket needs to cool down.
EXPERT TIP

Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant
Murphy Perng is a Wine Consultant and the Founder and Host of Matter of Wine, a business that produces educational wine events, including team-building experiences and networking events. Based in Los Angeles, California, Murphy has collaborated with brands such as Equinox, Buzzfeed, WeWork, and Stage & Table, to name a few. Murphy possesses her WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Advanced Certification.

Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Our Expert Agrees: When you're chilling champagne, filling the bucket with half ice and half water will help the cold transfer into the champagne bottle more quickly than if you just used ice alone.
3
Leave the champagne bottle in the bucket for 20 to 30 minutes. Simply let the champagne bottle sit in the bucket. You can set a timer on your phone or just keep an eye on the clock.^{[3]
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Pop the cork and serve. After 20 to 30 minutes have passed, you can pop the cork on the champagne bottle. Make sure to aim the tip of the bottle away from any expensive objects before popping the cork. To serve, tilt the bottle at a 45 degree angle, hold the glass steady with your other hand, and fill it three quarters of the way full with champagne.^{[5]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Chilling in the Fridge

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Check the temperature of your fridge and adjust as needed. You should store non-vintage champagne in the fridge. Non-vintage brands of champagne need to cool slightly more than vintage varieties. Remember, non-vintage champagne is champagne that has no year printed on the label. This should be stored between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of your fridge. Turn the temperature in the fridge up or down as needed.^{[6]
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Place the champagne bottle in the fridge. You want to set the bottle down horizontally. You should also strive to choose a cool, dark place in your fridge to store the bottle, such as near the back.^{[7]
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Leave the bottle in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you're serving champagne at a party, this requires some planning ahead. Make sure you plan to pop the champagne bottle in the fridge for a couple of hours before guests arrive.^{[8]
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Avoid storing champagne in the freezer. Some people advocate storing champagne in the freezer to chill it faster. This method is not recommended. This can kill the bubbles in the champagne, which can affect its taste and texture.^{[9]
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- If you do want to store your champagne in the freezer, do not let it sit for more than 15 minutes.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

Is it harmful for an unopened bottle of chilled champagne to get warm again?

Community Answer

It is not harmful, but it may affect the taste of the champagne. Aim to drink your champagne shortly after chilling it.
Question

Can you safely chill a bottle of champagne in a snow drift. If so, how long should you leave it there?

Community Answer

Ice from a snow drift is probably too cold to chill champagne safely, as it's generally below freezing.
Question

If I put my Brut champagne in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours, will it be OK?

Community Answer

Around 4 hours is recommended, but 2 - 3 hours is usually enough.