Champs anyone? A Champagne cocktail bar will add glamour to your next soiree. But it’s also great because guests make their own drinks while you get to relax and sparkle around the room.
While I’ll never turn my nose up at a party with a fully stocked bar, I love the creativity of a narrower, more focused option. That’s what this is. It’s a Champagne cocktail bar that’s easy to set up and uses as few as 10 ingredients. Get the next 10 things set up and you’re ready to go.
10 Ingredient Champagne Cocktail Bar
1. Lemons: Slice into wedges and have freshly squeezed lemon juice ready in a pretty pitcher.
2. Cranberries: Serve fresh or frozen. To freeze cranberries (this is a cool touch to add to drinks), buy a bag of fresh cranberries and put in the freezer. The Poinsettia shows off cranberries in Champagne cocktail gorgeousness.
3. Oranges and “Not From Concentrate” Pulp-Free Orange Juice: Slice oranges in wedges or cut into spirals for garnishes. You can use freshly squeezed orange juice in recipes but who has time for that? A good-quality, store-bought orange juice will do just fine. A mimosa is a perfect drink to use orange juice. Our recipe adds grenadine, which gives it a beautiful hue.
4. Orange liqueur: My favorite is Cointreau but you can also use Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. The orange is always delicious with Champagne.
5. Grenadine: This is sold in most grocery stores. Mine is sold near the wine section. In some grocery stores, it’s sold near the bottled water where there’s a selection of syrups for adding to drinks. You have to try grenadine in our French 75. So good.
6. Bitters: You can thank Don Draper for the comeback of bitters. This drink ingredient barely survived Prohibition, but is used in many classic cocktails, including a traditional Champagne cocktail. Have fun and experiment with artisan bitters (yes, it’s a thing). They come in just about every kind of flavor.
7. Gin: Did you know that artisan gin is a thing now too? My favorite is made by the New Holland Brewing Company.
8. Brandy: Brandy and Champagne? Yep. It just works, especially in a classic Barbotage cocktail.
9. Champagne: French Champagne is the chicest of drinks, but not necessary. Sparkling wine works just as well, but with less cost. I break it down for you in a handy sparkling wine guide over here.
10. Sugar cubes: So simple, but so necessary. Sugar cubes are used in many classic Champagne cocktails. If you’re feeling like going over the top, make your own. You can even make then in fun shapes and colors. Here’s how.
So there are your 10 must haves, but I usually find my shopping cart filled with a few (OK, a lot) of extras when hosting a party. Fresh herbs, like mint and rosemary, and pomegranate seeds can dress up a drink. Oh, and don’t forget to offer guests some pretty festive stir sticks and fun napkins.
Once you have your ingredients prepped and in place, write or type out some cocktail recipes to inspire your guests. Have a look at our Champagne Cocktail series for ideas or stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with over 101 Champagne Cocktails. That’s gonna wow yah!
That’s it, now relax and grab a drink.
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
This post originally appeared in December, 2015 and was revised and republished in December, 2020.
Great article. I agree that I love these DIY more narrowly focused set-ups and, of course, champagne is great!