Champagne is a drink best-served chilled. You can chill it in a bucket of ice or place the bottle in the refrigerator. Though you should drink it cold, champagne should never be served over ice. If it becomes too cold, the champagne’s taste and smell will be ruined. Learn how to chill champagne correctly to avoid ruining the drink’s flavor.
Step One
Obtain a metal bucket, and fill it with ice and water. The water and ice should be used in equal parts. The bucket needs to be made of metal because it is a better temperature conductor, which will keep the entire bucket cooler for a longer amount of time.
Step Two
Sit the bottle of champagne down in the bucket of ice and water. Do not cover the bottle completely with ice. Instead, the bottle should be surrounded by the ice and partially submerged in the water.
Step Three
Chill the champagne for less than 60 minutes with the bucket method. Generally, the bottle will be properly chilled in about 25 to 45 minutes.
Step Four
Place the bottle of champagne either upright or on its side in the refrigerator, preferably on the bottom shelf. To chill the drink even quicker, place it closer to the back of the unit where the temperature is typically colder.
Step Five
Leave the bottle in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to achieve the proper temperature. The exact time will depend upon the coolness setting of your unit. If your refrigerator has a dial that helps control temperature, utilize it. The colder the setting, the shorter the cooling time needed to chill the champagne.
Step Six
Drink the champagne within a few hours. If you do not open or drink the champagne, remove it from the refrigerator. It is best to not leave an unopened bottle in the fridge for more than 6 to 8 hours, because most refrigerators do not hold a consistent temperature. Opening and closing a refrigerator many times within a few hours can also alter the temperature. The lack of a consistent temperature could destroy the overall quality of the champagne, and slightly alter its taste.