How to Set Up The Ultimate Champagne Bar for 2

New Years’ Eve is going to be a different type of celebration this year but that doesn’t mean it should be any less celebratory…every year I usually set up a Champagne Bar for my New Year’s Eve Fete. But why you ask? To be totally honest, I get tired of being in charge of making sure everyone’s glass is full. Setting up a self-serve Champagne bar will not only stretch your bubbly supply with the addition of juices and liquors, it will also leave you free to mingle and actually enjoy your own bash.

But this year, due to local ordinances, we are only congregating with those in our own household (which means two for me), so why am I bothering with a DIY Champagne Bar again this year? Because it’s good fun. And with only two of us, I don’t feel guilty about stocking my champagne bar with bottles of primo champagne (rather than Prosecco or Cava).

So put some Champagne on ice, stock up on aperitifs and fresh juices, and gather some garnishes. Here’s how to set up the ultimate Champagne bar.

Step 1: Stock up on Champagne

Now I opted for Veuve Clicquot this year as it was readily available at my store (due to the supposed Champagne shortage this year) but I usually recommend having a few different bottles as they all offer different degrees of sweetness/dryness. Other favs include: Krug Grande Cuvée, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, Moët & Chandon Rosé Brut, Tattinger Brut La Francaise… it’s going to be a very small party this year, so spring for the good stuff.

Step 2: Add in the Booze

What? I need other booze for my Champagne Bar? Yup! Some of the best champagne cocktails include shots of other liquor (think Fresh 75 with Gin or Air Mail with Rum). Further, experimentation is half the fun of a self-service Champagne bar, so make sure to gather up a wide range of liqueurs and spirits. Some of our favorites include:

Cognac
Absinthe
Gin
St-Germain
Aperol
Bourbon
Goldschlager
Crème de Cassis
Apricot liqueur

Step 3: Gather the Reinforcements

Dry Champagne works well with most fresh fruit juices, so pick your favourites to add into the mix. I always recommend fresh juice as it will offer the most flavour (and the least added sugar – Champagne is packed with enough already). Why not even try something you wouldn’t think of normally like tomato juice…it pairs perfectly with champagne. May I suggest stocking up on the following:

Simple Syrup ( I also add in a Ginger Syrup and Grenadine)
Sugar cubes
Angostura bitters
Peach purée
Orange and Grapefruit juice
Stout beer
Lemon juice
Cranberry juice

Step 4: Send in the Fruits

Every self-proclaimed influencer knows that NYE is all about the ‘Gram, so why not make your Champagne cocktails look beautiful with all the fruit garnishes. And besides, booze-soaked fruit is always a wonderful treat to find at the bottom of your flute (that counts as food right?). Classic fruit garnishes include blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cranberries. But sommeliers the world over have also been using cucumber, celery, sweet peppers in certain types of champagne. Pre-cut lemon, lime and grapefruit twists, so imbibers can express the peels over their drinks. I also like to add a few of my favourite herbs (rosemary and mint) to add to my champagne cocktails.

You can even arrange cellars of gourmet salts, as part of your Champagne Bar, to encourage encourage guests to experiment with savoury sprinkles(smoked salt is delicious in champagne). I even like to add tea infusers filled with Earl Grey tea to add into my Champagne (delicious with Verve Clicquot Rich). And don’t forget the edible gold flakes for an added touch of glam.

Step 5: Don’t Forget the Tools

This last step will make sure you can make all your favourite champagne cocktails without ever getting up from your comfy seat. I would suggest including:

A large champagne bucket filled with ice to keep bottles chilled
Cocktail Jigger
Cocktail Shaker
Bar spoon and Hawthorne strainer
Ice bucket filled with extra ice
Champagne Flutes or Coupes
Champion Balloon style glasses (if you don’t have them, you can use large wine glasses)

Step 6: Pop Those Bottles

While I always like to encourage experimenting with new flavours and inventing unique cocktails, others like to stick to the classics, so here are a few classic combinations to get you started: