Saudi Champagne

A bubbly non-alcoholic drink made from apple juice, soda water, and sliced fruits that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes, Saudi Champagne is popular mocktail from Saudi Arabia and often served at dinner parties, fancy restaurants, and special occasions.

I remember seeing Saudi Champagne at restaurants in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) when I was a young boy. As franchises became more popular, this Saudi non-alcoholic take on sparkling wine became a little less common (after all, every franchise restaurant had preexisting arrangements with major soft drink companies).

However, some fancier spots, or local restaurants continue to include Saudi Champagne on their menu. Most often, you’ll still see it at dinner parties and special occasions (especially those taking place in hotels) as it remains a national favorite.

What is Saudi Champagne

Saudi Champagne is a beverage popular in Saudi Arabia. The most authentic version of the Middle Eastern mocktail is made from a mixture of Perrier water, apple juice, and a mix of sliced apples, oranges, and fresh mint. Other popular versions include the use of lemon juice, sliced lemons, or 7-Up.

Is it alcoholic

There’s no actual wine or champagne used in the popular concoction. As alcohol is not permitted in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Champagne has always been alcohol-free and completely halal; it uses the champagne name to denote fanciness and bubbles.

Who invented Saudi Champagne

It’s unknown who created Saudi Champagne first. It dates back to the 1970s, with the most likely source being local restaurants who created and copied it from one another. No one is officially credited with the creation of the “Saudi champagne” term, but;

Beverage company Rauch proclaims that it was their shipments of apple juice that led to the creation of Saudi Champagne, but there is little written evidence to support this aside from their own marketing snippets.

That said, the largest and best known Middle Eastern juice brands (such as Al Rabie, Al Marai, or Al Watania) were mostly founded in the late 70s, so it is certainly possible that the first versions of Saudi Champagne were made using Rauch’s apple juice.

Ingredients

• Apple juice, chilled
• Perrier (or any sparkling water), chilled
• Sliced apple
• Sliced orange
• Fresh mint leaves
• Ice cubes

How to make Saudi Champagne

It doesn’t get much easier than making Saudi Champagne. You’ll need a large pitcher (ideally, a glass one so that fruits can be seen). Start by adding the ice cubes (exactly how many ice cubes will depend on the size of your pitcher, but you want lots of ice), sliced apple pieces, orange slices, and the mint leaves.

Next pour in the apple juice, and mix gently. Allow the drink to sit (and let the flavors infuse) for five to ten minutes, before pouring in the chilled sparkling water. Mix gently, and serve immediately!

Tips

Given how simple this recipe is to make, there aren’t too many tips to give. Here are a few simple ways to make sure your Saudi Champagne is the best it can be:

Keep it fresh. Use fresh fruits for the best taste. Traditionally, sweet red apples are used in Saudi Champagne. 

Keep it smooth. For the best experience, opt for apple juice without any pulp.

Let it rest. It’s always tempting to skip rest times in recipe, but taking 10 minutes to let the fruits infuse with the juice results in a much better tasting drink.

Easy, tiger. You only need to mix gently, there’s no need to use a whisk or tear/crush your mint, or anything like that. If you mix too hard, you risk damaging the fruit, which doesn’t help the flavor but does hurt the presentation. If you crush or tear the mint, you’ll have tiny little leaves floating around your drinks, which again isn’t the best experience for most!

Sensible serving. When serving this nonalcoholic champagne, make sure to limit the amount of fruit you allow to travel into the glass. Too much fruit or mint in your glass will make it difficult to drink. Additionally, make sure to have a pitcher large enough for all the liquids, ice and fruit – while this recipe only has two litres of liquid, a larger pitcher is required as the ice and fruits take up quite a bit of space too.

Variation ideas

There are essentially three popular variations on Saudi Champagne:

Switch out the Perrier

Switching out the Perrier water is the most commonly seen variation. While Perrier is the standard option, it can be switched out for another sparkling water (or a flavored sparkling water), but the most common switch is swap it out for 7-Up or Sprite, adding a sweet, lemony hit to the recipe.

Extra lemon juice

A popular option at house parties is to add some fresh lemon juice (a quarter cup or so). It’s a very slight variation but does add that lemon flavor without any additional sweetness.

Change up the fruits

Possibly the most apparent change is switching or adding new fruits to the mix. The sky is the limit here, but I’d suggest starting with fruits closer to fruits already present – opt for adding some pineapple chunks for sweetness, or switch to mandarins if you feel too much orange in the mix.

Serving suggestions

While this popular Saudi mocktail can be served in champagne flutes, there is no official way to serve this drink. Typically, high end hotels serve the drink in a champagne flute or a wine glass (usually a Montrachet). There’s no benefit to this other than presentation. Most restaurants will serve the drink in a tumbler, or stemless wine glass.

There’s no specific food pairing for Saudi Champagne – I’ve had it at traditionally Saudi restaurants, as well as in Turkish restaurants, and Thai restaurants. I think the refreshing, bubbly nature of the drink would go very well with something like Nasi Goreng, or even Big Mac Tacos, if you’re in the mood for something a little less traditional!

Make sure to finish your meal with a Middle Eastern dessert though.

Storage

Saudi Champagne is best consumed immediately, and can be stored in the fridge for up to a day.

Final thoughts

Saudi Champagne is the perfect drink for a hot day, or for a get together when you want to keep a non-alcoholic option available. It's quick and easy to make, and something that can be enjoyed by the whole family (don't forget to eat the fruit once you're done!).

Have you tried it? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.