Preparing a Champagne Ice Bucket

How to store champagne before, during, and after its time in the ice bucket

Chances are that if you're online searching for information on preparing a champagne ice bucket that you've already bought the champagne and are now a bit nervous about serving it properly. So before we begin, if the champagne is in the freezer, take it out immediately and put it in the fridge. If your party is starting in thirty minutes or so, take five minutes to read this and then take the champagne out of the fridge and put it in a champagne ice bucket.

Champagne storage

If you're taking the time to read this a few days before your party, good work. It's actually best to let champagne rest for a few days rather than drinking it the day you bought it. So buy your champagne now, and store it in a cool, dark place until the day of your party. Do not store champagne in the refrigerator as this will tire it and alter its taste.

Before the bucket

Since you're here, you already know that champagne needs to be chilled before it's served. If the champagne foams excessively when opened and seems a bit warm, set the bottle in an ice bucket before serving further.

To properly chill champagne, take it out of storage three to four hours before your party is to begin. Never put champagne in the freezer, even if you forgot to chill it and you're in a panic.

Store your champagne bottles in the fridge for several hours until about 20 to 30 minutes before the party is to start, then transfer them to your ice buckets.

Preparing a champagne ice bucket

A champagne ice bucket should be about half full of water and ice when in use.

The elegant way to open champagne is to keep the bottle in the ice bucket. Try to avoid shaking the bottle as you open it. To serve, remove the bottle from the champagne bucket and wipe it down with a cloth, including the lip, and pour a small amount into your glass to taste. If the champagne tastes fine and is appropriately chilled, you can continue serving.

Opened bottles should be placed back into the champagne bucket. It's also a good idea to keep a napkin by the champagne bucket so that your guests can serve themselves without dripping water or making a mess.

After the party

If there is champagne left over after the party, opened bottles can be resealed and kept in the refrigerator for two to three days at the very most. Champagne that has been sitting like this is not going to be as good, which is a perfect excuse for finishing bottles off the night of your party.

A final note: there is an urban factoid that claims putting a silver spoon in the bottle neck will help champagne to keep. This is not true, though if you have silver spoons just lying around your house, you're welcome to try it anyway.

More information on ice buckets