Glassware

Champagne Flute

A champagne flute is a tall stemmed glass with a narrow bowl; Urban Bar’s flutes are listed at 19 to 21cl. Its small surface keeps sparkling wine fizzy for longer, so it suits champagne, prosecco and cava, and cocktails topped with them such as the French 75 and the Kir Royale. Fill it to about two-thirds: a 125ml pour of wine sits well in a 180ml flute.

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A plain, clear champagne flute with a tall, narrow bowl on a long thin stem and a round foot, on a white background.

The tool

About the Champagne Flute

A Small Surface Keeps the Fizz

Carbon dioxide leaves sparkling wine across its surface. A flute holds the wine in a narrow column, so the surface is small and the wine stays fizzy for longer than in a wide coupe.

For a good champagne drunk on its own, some people prefer a tulip or a white wine glass. The wider bowl gives up a little fizz and lets more of the wine's aroma reach the nose.

Our Sparkling Drinks Fit a 180ml Flute

The French 75 is 30ml of gin, 15ml of lemon and 15ml of syrup, shaken and double strained, then topped with 60ml of champagne: about 135ml. The Kir Royale is 10ml of crème de cassis and 90ml of champagne, and the Champagne Cocktail a sugar cube soaked in Angostura, then 10ml of cognac and 90ml of champagne.

Each leaves room for the foam in a flute of about 180ml. The Bellini, Rossini and Bucks Fizz, at about 150ml, want the full 200ml.

Flute, coupe and white wine glass for sparkling drinks (flute and coupe sizes from Urban Bar’s listings)

Flute

Usual capacity: 19 to 21cl (Urban Bar)
Fizz: Holds it longest
Our drinks in it: French 75, Kir Royale, Champagne Cocktail, Bellini

Coupe

Usual capacity: 18 to 23cl (Urban Bar)
Fizz: Fades sooner across the wide bowl
Our drinks in it: Drinks served up, such as the Old Cuban topped with champagne

White wine glass

Usual capacity: Varies
Fizz: Fades a little sooner than in a flute
Our drinks in it: Good champagne drunk on its own

Glass	Usual capacity	Fizz	Our drinks in it
Flute	19 to 21cl (Urban Bar)	Holds it longest	French 75, Kir Royale, Champagne Cocktail, Bellini
Coupe	18 to 23cl (Urban Bar)	Fades sooner across the wide bowl	Drinks served up, such as the Old Cuban topped with champagne
White wine glass	Varies	Fades a little sooner than in a flute	Good champagne drunk on its own

Pour Down the Side, in Two Goes

Tilt the flute and pour down the inside wall. Wine poured into the middle of an upright glass foams up and loses fizz as the foam collapses.

Pour half, let the foam settle, then top up to about two-thirds. In a cocktail the base goes in first and the wine follows slowly; our recipes then give one gentle lift, or none at all for the Kir Royale and the Champagne Cocktail.

Chill the Glass, Clean the Glass

Our recipes chill the flute as well as the wine: in the fridge, briefly in the freezer, or filled with ice water and emptied just before pouring. Shake out the water so it does not dilute the drink.

Detergent left on the glass flattens the bubbles at once. Rinse flutes well in hot water and dry them with a lint-free cloth.

Using it

Using the Champagne Flute

Usage

Sparkling wine on its own, and drinks topped with it: our French 75, Kir Royale, Champagne Cocktail, Bellini and Bucks Fizz are all served in a chilled flute. Most come to 100 to 150ml, which leaves room for the foam in a 180 to 200ml glass.

Pro Tip

Build a sparkling cocktail base first and the wine second. For a French 75, the shaken gin, lemon and syrup go into the flute, the champagne follows slowly down the side, and one gentle lift of a bar spoon finishes it.

Professional Tips

Chill the flute as well as the wine; our recipes chill both.
Tilt the glass and pour down the inside wall.
Pour in two goes: let the foam settle, then top up.
Rinse well after washing; detergent left on the glass flattens the bubbles.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

Plain glass flutes of about 180ml are cheap from catering suppliers. A white wine glass also works and lets you smell more of the wine.

Premium Option

Thin, light crystal flutes with a bowl that tapers in at the top. They are lovely to drink from; the wine is the same.

Specifications

Material
Glass or crystal
Capacity
19 to 21cl in Urban Bar’s listings; some hold as little as 150ml
Details
Tall, narrow bowl, sometimes tapering in towards the top, on a long, thin stem

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What size is a champagne flute?

Urban Bar’s flutes are listed at 19, 20 and 21cl, though some hold only 150ml. A standard 125ml pour of wine fills a 180ml flute to about two-thirds, leaving room for the foam. Our sparkling cocktails come to 100 to 150ml, and the larger ones want the full 200ml.

Should I use a flute or a coupe for champagne?

A flute, if you want it to stay fizzy. The wide coupe spreads the wine thin and it goes flat sooner. For a good champagne drunk on its own, a white wine glass or tulip keeps much of the fizz and lets you smell more of the wine.

How do you pour into a champagne flute?

Tilt the glass and pour down the inside wall. Pour about half, let the foam settle, then top up to two-thirds. Poured into the middle of an upright glass, the wine foams up, and fizz is lost as the foam collapses.

Should you chill a champagne flute?

Yes. Our recipes chill the flute as well as the wine: in the fridge, briefly in the freezer, or filled with ice water and emptied just before you pour. Shake out the last of the water so it does not dilute the drink.

What cocktails are served in a champagne flute?

In our library: the French 75, Kir Royale, Champagne Cocktail, Bellini, Rossini, Bucks Fizz, Mimosa, Death in the Afternoon, Airmail and Seelbach, among others. Each is topped with, or built on, sparkling wine, and the narrow glass keeps it lively.

How much goes into a French 75?

Our French 75 is 30ml of gin, 15ml of lemon juice and 15ml of sugar syrup, shaken and double strained into a chilled flute, then topped with 60ml of champagne: about 135ml in all. A 180ml flute holds it with room for the foam.

Why does champagne go flat in my glass?

Usually because of the glass. Detergent or rinse-aid film flattens bubbles on contact, a warm glass speeds the loss of fizz, and pouring into the middle of the glass throws much of it off as foam. Rinse well, chill the flute and pour down the side.