Oscars Night Cocktails: Red Carpet–Inspired Drinks to Serve During the Academy Awards

Awards season always brings a certain energy to the living room. The gowns command attention, speeches spark debate, and every win calls for a celebratory sip. As the Academy Awards return on March 15, 2026, the home viewing party has become part of the tradition.

A well-made cocktail sets the tone for the evening. Something sparkling while nominees walk the carpet. A deeper, spirit-forward pour once the awards begin. Perhaps a champagne toast when the final envelope opens. The following lineup of Oscar-inspired cocktails offers a polished mix of classics and modern serves designed to match the mood of Hollywood’s biggest night.

Light, citrusy, and lifted by bubbles, the Golden Fizz feels particularly suited for the opening moments of an Oscars viewing party. Built over ice and finished with tonic, the cocktail carries bright notes of hanrabong citrus balanced by the clean character of KHEE Soju 38.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz KHEE Soju 38

• 0.75 oz hanrabong

• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice

• 2–3 oz tonic water

Method

Build over ice, stir gently, and top with tonic.

Few cocktails carry the same celebratory reputation as the French 75. With gin, lemon, and sparkling wine, it remains one of the most fitting choices for a night dedicated to glamour and champagne toasts.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru

• 3 oz Martini & Rossi Prosecco

• ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ¼ oz sugar syrup

• Lemon twist for garnish

Method

Shake the gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with ice for about 10 seconds. Fine strain into a chilled straight-sided wine glass. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a lemon twist.

For viewers who prefer something more contemplative while the ceremony unfolds, the Highland Sunset offers a rich and aromatic profile. Scotch whisky meets sweet vermouth and herbal Bénédictine, creating a layered cocktail suited for slow sipping.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz ABERFELDY 12

• 1.5 oz Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale Rubino Vermouth

• 0.75 oz Bénédictine DOM

Method

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 45 seconds to one minute until chilled and diluted. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with an expressed lemon peel.

The Boulevardier remains one of the most enduring whiskey cocktails. This variation leans into Scotch with a balance of sweet vermouth and bitter aperitif, delivering a refined option for the middle stretch of the awards broadcast.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz DEWAR’S 12 Year Old

• 1 oz MARTINI Rosso Sweet Vermouth

• 0.75 oz MARTINI Bitter Aperitif

Method

Stir with ice until properly chilled and strain into a cocktail glass.

Fruit-forward cocktails often bring a welcome lift to long awards shows, and the Royal Orchard Sour balances citrus brightness with soft sweetness. Fresh raspberries and apricot liqueur introduce depth while egg white adds a silky texture.

Ingredients

• 1.25 oz DEWAR'S 12 Year Old

• 0.5 oz Apricot Liqueur

• 0.75 oz Sugar Syrup (1:1)

• 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

• 3–4 raspberries

• 0.5 oz egg white or alternative

Method

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with lemon zest and a raspberry.

Irish whiskey brings subtle spice and warmth to this classic sour format. Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, matured with a rum cask finish, adds complexity that plays well against fresh citrus.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

• 1 oz Lemon Juice

• ½ oz Simple Syrup

• ½ egg white

Method

Shake all ingredients until chilled and strain into a rocks glass over ice.

While home viewers mix cocktails in the kitchen, guests inside the Academy Awards celebration will raise a glass of champagne.

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

At the 2026 Oscars, Governors Ball, and Academy Museum Gala, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne will once again be poured throughout the evening. The historic Champagne house previously served as the official champagne of the Academy Awards from 2015 through 2021 and returns to Hollywood’s most celebrated stage this year.

The champagne featured at the festivities is the House’s signature Cuvée Brut, known for its lively expression and celebratory character. Guests walking the red carpet and attending the Governors Ball will toast with the same cuvée, continuing a relationship between the Champagne house and cinema that stretches back decades.

Piper-Heidsieck’s connection to film dates to 1933, when it became the first champagne to appear on screen in the Laurel and Hardy film Sons of the Desert. Since then the house has appeared in more than 300 films and television series, reinforcing its association with artistic celebration and Hollywood glamour.

The 2026 Oscars also coincide with the centennial of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, a cultural icon who famously declared her affection for the champagne with the words, “To Piper, my favorite.” In tribute to Monroe’s legacy, Piper-Heidsieck will unveil a limited-edition cuvée alongside a series of global celebrations tied to the opening of the Marilyn Monroe Exhibition at the Academy Museum on May 31, 2026.

For viewers hosting an Oscars watch party at home, opening a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck offers a simple way to sip the same champagne poured during Hollywood’s biggest night.

The Academy Awards have always been about storytelling. Films tell one version of the story. Fashion tells another. The cocktails served during the evening add a layer to the celebration, marking each win and surprise with a raised glass.

Whether mixing a citrus-forward fizz or pouring champagne as the final award is announced, the ritual remains the same. A toast to the artists, the performances, and the moments that make movie history.