How Much Alcohol is in Champagne? Answered (2023)

Last Updated on March 10, 2023 by Lydia Martin

Champagne’s light and sparkling quality make it the perfect celebratory drink for weddings, festive occasions, and other special celebrations.

But how much alcohol is in Champagne? 

If you’re not careful, the bubbles can get you drunk quickly and leave a nasty hangover the next day. 

Let’s see how many shots of Champagne would take a person to get drunk compared to other alcoholic drinks.

Overview of Champagne’s Alcohol Content

Champagnes usually contain 12% ABV, higher than most beers but lower than hard liquors. It was fermented twice to generate enough carbon dioxide and create bubbles [1].

“In the Champagne study, people drinking bubbly showed an early spike in alcohol levels after about five minutes.”

– Rachel Becker, Science Reporter

The first round of Champagne fermentation leaves it with 9% alcohol content, and no bubbles have formed yet.

But winemakers would add extra sugar and more yeast for the second round before sealing the Champagne inside the bottle, producing more carbon dioxide and alcohol. 

Can Champagne Get You Drunk?

Yes, Champagne with 12% ABV can get you drunk in a few standard shots.

It is the same level as most wines, but the bubbles in Champagne would make you get drunk faster.

The body absorbs food and drinks faster with carbon dioxide gas, making the alcohol enter the blood rapidly.

But the type of drink and alcohol level are just factors affecting drunkenness. Your age, weight, and how much and fast you drink should also be considered.

How Much Champagne Can Get You Drunk?

It would take at least four to five servings of 5 oz shots of Champagne to get you drunk. That estimate will work if the Champagne contains 12% ABV. 

Despite studies showing that Champagne would affect you faster than regular wines, it would not make you drunker than usual.

The alcohol effect is just faster but not stronger.

Compared To Other Alcohol

Wine

Champagne has the same alcohol content as most wines, comparable to rosé and riesling.

Unfortified wines have an average of 11% ABV, while fortified wines are around 18% ABV.

Pedro Ximénez sherries can be as rich as 25% ABV, double the alcohol content of a regular Champagne. 

But you might notice that Champagne can get you drunk faster than wine, despite the same alcohol content.

It is because the gas bubbles from Champagne allow your body to absorb alcohol faster than wine.

Beer

Beers have a wide range of alcohol content, starting from around 4% to more than 60% ABV.

Most low-alcohol beers have 4% to 7% ABV, making it lower than Champagne’s alcohol content. 

For a regular beer with 5% ABV, getting drunk would take three to four 12 oz servings.

But Champagne has lower alcohol content than Brewmeister Snake Venom, considered the world’s strongest beer, with 67.5% ABV.

Vodka

Compared to a distilled spirit like vodka with 40% to 50% ABV, Champagne has less alcohol content of around 12% ABV.

Three to four standard 1.5 oz shots of vodka are enough to make a person drunk. 

Since vodka is almost tasteless, many people would use it for cocktails or mix it with other drinks like fruit juice or soda.

Although it would naturally decrease the alcohol content, you may end up drinking more alcohol unknowingly.

Sparkling Wine

Champagne is among the most common sparkling wines, along with Cava, Prosecco, and sparkling wines from the United States [2].

Sparkling wine contains as much alcohol as Champagne for up to 12% ABV. 

Often, people use Champagne and sparkling wine interchangeably, but real Champagne can only come from Champagne, France.

Do All Champagnes Have Alcohol?

No, not all Champagnes have alcohol content. There are non-alcoholic Champagnes that are getting popular recently.

Some companies would remove alcohol from the Champagne before bottling using vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, or spinning cone columns. 

However, you should note that some of these non-alcoholic Champagnes still contain a minimal amount of at least 0.05% ABV.

Unless the manufacturers use 0% ABV or alcohol-free alternatives, there would be residual alcohol in the Champagne. 

FAQs

Can kids drink Champagne?

No, kids should not drink alcoholic Champagne. Letting children, especially those below 13 years old, drink an alcoholic beverage like Champagne can lead them to increased violence, academic problems, and substance use later in life. 

What’s the strongest Champagne with high alcohol content?

Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition, Ruinart Brut Rosé, and Pol Roger Brut Réserve are among the strongest Champagnes with a high alcohol content of 12.5% ABV. 

Does Champagne get you a hangover?

Yes, Champagne would get you a hangover if you drank too much of it.

Even though it has lower alcohol content than other alcoholic beverages, the human body cannot break down too much alcohol intake, resulting in hangovers.

Final Say

Champagne can be so expensive that some people would only serve it during the most memorable occasions of their lives.

It is a sparkling wine made exclusively in France’s Champagne region.

It usually contains 12% ABV, almost the same as other sparkling wines, stronger than most beers but lower than hard liquors. 

Four to five standard shots of Champagne are enough to get you drunk, but its effects would be faster than drinking wine with the same alcohol content. 

References:

1. https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/31/14135404/champagne-sparkling-wine-science-bubbles-physics-alcohol-hangovers-new-years 
2. https://www.bostonmagazine.com/weddings/2015/09/25/difference-between-champagne-and-sparkling-wine/