Poppin’ bottles: Graduation champagne done right
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and graduation caps are in the air. Another school year has come and gone (surely faster for parents than their kids), and it’s time for undergrads to become alumni. So crank up Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life), try not to cry when Vitamin C begs you to reminisce on the past four years, and remember to bring the most obnoxious air horns you can find for the commencement ceremony. But most importantly, don’t forget to bring bottle(s) of champagne for your graduate to pop at the celebration. If you’re unsure of what your new grad will like the most, we’re here to help. After all, no graduation is official until the champagne bottle is popped.
Champagne Sweetness
Understanding the label of a champagne bottle can be tricky for newcomers, but by the time you finish this paragraph, you’ll be a champagne expert yourself. Oftentimes, the word you’ll want to pay the most attention to on a champagne label is the one that indicates its sweetness. The scale is as follows:
· Brut Nature
· Extra Brut
· Brut
· Extra Sec (Extra Dry)
· Sec (Dry)
· Demi-Sec (Medium Dry)
· Doux (Sweet)
The most common champagne is Brut. Brut is a dry champagne with a little sweetness, but often that sweetness is so mild that it’s undetectable. Extra Brut and Brut Nature are even less sweet. Extra Sec and Sec champagnes are still dry like Brut champagnes, but they’re sweeter in taste. Demi-Sec is the most popular sweet champagne.
Champagnes we recommend
And now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for: Our champagne recommendations. Brand-wise, our best-selling champagnes are Korbel, Andre, Cook, Chandon, Ballatore and M&R. These range from (price range) in price. And unless your kid is lucky enough to tack on extra schooling after undergrad, donning their cap and gown is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So for that reason, we recommend going a little bigger for graduation weekend. For your rosé-loving grad, we recommend our Palmer Brut Rosé. For the grad who wants to keep it on the drier side, we recommend the Laurent-Perrier Brut.
And for the biggest “pop,” make sure your champagne is chilled before it’s time to celebrate. For the best results, chill your champagne bottle on ice for up to 30 minutes before go-time or refrigerate for three-to-four hours instead.
But wait, there’s more! Non-alcoholic champagne for high-schoolers
We’ve spent a lot of time focusing on of-age graduates, but they’re not the only ones who walk across the stage in May. This post wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the 18-year-olds who make it out of the warzone that is high school. In some respects, high school is even tougher to make it through than higher education, so high school grads are just as deserving of their own bottles to pop. For them, we offer Sutter Fre Brut. It’s definitely 100% alcohol-free, but you don’t have to tell them that. Your secret is safe with us.