No cocktail proclaims, Let’s Celebrate! more than champagne! There is a lot to celebrate in the New Year 2022, and whether you’re hosting a glamorous New Year’s Eve celebration, a festive New Year’s morning brunch or a small gathering of friends to toast the New Year, a DIY champagne bar is a perfect addition to toast the new year – and relieves you of bartender duties! A champagne bar is easy to prep and set up and lets the hostess enjoy her own party!

Stock Your Bar

You can prepare your DIY champagne bar in advance, just be sure to add the champagne and ice at the last minute so they’re icy cold for your guests. You can set your champagne bar up on a tabletop or bar cart, and use a decorative tray and holiday decor to make it festive. Place your champagne bar in a spot so more than 1 person can mix a drink at a time, so your guests can mingle while they mix!

1. Glassware
I’m partial to vintage champagne coupes. A curated and collected assortment of coupes makes a sophisticated presentation – and if one gets broken, just add to your collection!

#DYK: The classic champagne coupe is rumored to have been molded from the breast of Marie Antoinette?

Tall, slim and elegant champagne flutes are designed to keep the fizz in your bubbly

2. Champagne

Whether your preference is expensive French champagne or a more affordable Prosecco or sparkling wine, it’s important to make sure your bubbly stays cold.

3. Napkins
Small, elegant cocktail napkins are a must to protect your furniture and your guests from an accidental spill.

4. Champagne Bucket
1 or more iced champagne buckets to keep your bubbly cold even after the cork is popped.

5. Accouterments

• Alcohol
  
  • Gin, vodka, creme de cassis and other liquors – we love a splash of Elderflower liquor in a glass of champagne!
• Jigger for measuring your pours and a cocktail shaker
• Sugar cubes
  
  • We adore the flavored sugar cubes that are all that’s needed to add a pop of color and flavor to a glass of bubbly!
• Simple syrup
  
  • You can buy it, or make your own. Infuse it with flavors and colors that enhance your cocktail bar, such as lemongrass!
• Juices such as orange, pomegranate and cranberry
• Garnishes
  
  • Lemon twists, rosemary sprigs
  • Frozen cranberries, frozen berry skewers
  • Ice cubes with embedded garnishes or made from fruit juice or pulp
  • Ice
• Festive stirrers and straws
• Bar towels to clean up spills and hold slippery bottles

Classic Champagne Cocktail Recipes

Here are 5 of my favorite champagne cocktail recipes. You can create beautiful recipe cards to decorate your champagne bar and inspire your guests! Beautiful and festive served in your favorite vintage coupe or flute!

French 75
Champagne, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup:

• 1 ounce gin or cognac
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 3 ounces of bubbly
• Garnish with lemon zest

Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled, strain into a glass, top with the bubbly, garnish with a lemon twist.

Kir Royale

Champagne and creme de cassis:

• 1/2 ounce creme de cassis
• bubbly to top
• Garnish with lemon twist

Add cassis to a flute, top with bubbly and garnish.

Champagne Cocktail
Champagne, bitters and sugar cube:

• 1 sugar cube
• 2 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• bubbly to top
• Garnish: lemon twist

Add a dash of bitters to a sugar cube, drop in a glass, add bubbly and garnish

Poinsettia
Champagne, cranberry juice and simple syrup:

• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
• 3 ounces of bubbly
• Garnish with lemon zest

Add cranberry and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled, strain into a glass, top with the bubbly, garnish with lemon zest.

Cheers to the New Year!
Wishing each and every one of you a safe, happy and FABULOUS New Year 2022!