Ask a Bartender: How Do You Keep Carbonated Cocktails Bubbly?

Bubbles are an important component in many cocktails. And for many bartenders, keeping those drinks from losing their carbonation is a key part of the drink-making process. Of course, there are many factors that go into keeping a drink bubbly (the right ice being one such factor). Zach Rivera, partner and beverage director at Golden Years and Moonflower in Chicago, has put a lot of time and effort into this endeavor, going so far as to serve a 22-degrees-Fahrenheit, practically frozen highball at Golden Years.

“There are certain categories of cocktails that require carbonation for them to be made properly,” Rivera says. Think of a Tom Collins: Without the soda, it would just be boozy lemonade. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not the same.

For Em Gardner, bartender at The Museum in Brooklyn, “carbonation in cocktails really has a way of brightening and opening up flavors.” She thinks bubbles can help subtle flavors come through and nicely cut through sweetness. So clearly carbonation is often essential for accuracy and taste, so what’s the best way of adding it to a drink in the first place?

The simplest way is to just add something that’s already carbonated. It could be soda water from a beverage gun or artisanal sparkling water, though neither of those add much flavor. “In an ideal world, I have access to a Suntory Toki Highball machine at all times,” Gardner says of the specialized machine that dispenses an optimal mix of Japanese whisky and ultra-carbonated water, calling it “hands down the best soda water there is.” For everyday use, she likes the bubbles in Fever-Tree sodas, especially the brand’s ginger ale and ginger beer.

Rivera also has an unattainable preferred source of carbonation: Wilkinson Tansan sparkling water, a brand started in the late 19th century by an Englishman living in Japan before being acquired by Asahi in 1951. Rivera first tried it when visiting his brother who was living in Japan and would love to import it to Chicago, calling the brand “super-duper bubbly.”

Another way to add bubbles is to directly carbonate a liquid mixture. One of the big benefits to doing this is that you avoid adding extra ingredients that immediately reduce carbonation. “The most carbonated thing you can get is water,” Rivera says. “When you start adding in syrups and acid and alcohol, all of those things will decrease the amount of carbonation that you can get.” This makes clarified cocktails an ideal candidate for carbonating. “Drinks that aren’t clarified just don’t hold CO2 in the same way,” Gardner says. While you can try to carbonate any alcohol, she says, she’s noticed that lower-ABV spirits hold carbon dioxide better and others may take more of the gas to achieve the right mouthfeel.

It’s also important to pick the right level of effervescence for the drink you’re making, according to Rivera. Back to the Tom Collins: Someone who orders it probably isn’t expecting something as bubbly as Champagne, so it’s OK if some carbonation is lost because of the other ingredients that add flavor to the drink. There’s always going to be some trade-off between flavor and texture; you just have to know to expect it.

Both Gardner and Rivera say that the biggest factor affecting the loss of carbonation is temperature. When carbonating a liquid or adding something bubbly to a base, everything should be as close to freezing as possible. That includes the glassware. But you don’t want a glass that’s going to hold a carbonated drink to be so cold it develops frost, because any impurities on the glass can cause the liquid to foam and lose carbonation. Same thing if your glass is dirty (bad all around).

Rivera also recommends a gentle pour. “If you pour violently, from super high, or onto ice directly, the physical manipulation will cause you to lose some carbonation,” he says. Think of it like a beer can: Pour slowly and at an angle to minimize foaming. If possible, you should add ice to a drink after pouring it into a glass. You should also shake or stir your cocktail before adding the bubbly component.

As for cocktails with sparkling wine, the Spritz is always going to be a hit, but Rivera finds the ingredient harder to work with in cocktails and not always worth the expense for the bar. “It’s harder to balance [sparkling wine] because it has alcohol, sugar, and its own flavor, so it’s not as versatile as a carbonated water or other beverage would be,” he says.

So to keep your bubbles bubbly: Get every component as cold as possible, minimize agitation, and know what level of effervescence you’re after. If you want something super flavorful with bubbles at the center, consider direct carbonation as a tool to achieve that goal. If you’re going for crisp flavors with as much carbonation as possible, keep it simple. And no matter what, keep it cold.

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