The Perfect Prosecco Pregame: How to Make Your Own Champagne Bar

Friday is on the horizon, my friends — and you’re probably already in that summa, summa, summati-ime weekend mindset.

(I actually thought today was Friday all morning, but I digress…)

I’m right here with you, because at long last, my favorite weekend of the year has arrived: Lollapalooza!

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Nothing says weekend like a little champagne pre-party — because after all, mimosas are synonymous with Saturday/Sunday mornings. And really, is there anything better than an hour or two of liquid bonding over brunch with your closest confidants?

It’s going to be a fun, busy weekend on my end. Most excitingly, I’ve been collaborating with Cupcake wines to do a lot of awesome, booze-infused activities (in moderation, natch) around Lolla’s 25th Anniversary.

Cupcake is one of Lolla’s main beverage sponsors and – not ironically – one of my go-to “cocktail” choices for the festival every year. There, not only do they have Prosecco, sangria and wine varietals at-the-ready, you can get it by the (water) bottle… Yep. Amazing, as there’s nothing worse than going to-and-from the beer tent (and as a result, the bathroom) mid-way through a music set you really want to see, is there?

The festival is four days this year — Thursday through Sunday — and I’ll be at it all weekend. To be honest, though, I’m most excited for the pre-fest par-tay.

I’m hosting a few friends this weekend, so with that in mind, I created a build-your-own-mimosa bar so that we can easily kick off the festivities of our favorite weekend. This spread is sure to impress your guests — and honestly, I can’t tell you how easy it is to create.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Champagne flutes for your guests
• Large pitchers for your mixers of choice (I’m serving orange, grapefruit and pomegranate juices)
• Colorful, tasty garnishes (fruity finger foods)
• Plenty of delicious, shareable apps and brunch-worthy bites
• Cupcake Prosecco (bonus points for mini bottles — aren’t they cute?)

Here’s how to do it:

Just pour the bubbly, add the juice (or skip it, like I did — LOL) and top with fruit. Simple. Salud!

Lastly, here’s a few practiced principles of the pregame to ensure you master your next champagne campaign. (Kinda like stretching before a workout, if you will.)

• Plan to pair your Prosecco with vibrant, fresh fruits and colorful juices — liquids without much added sugar, ideally.
• Tart-tasting dranks like OJ will balance the Prosecco’s sweeter, boozy, bubbly taste.
• For non-alcoholic or mock mimosas, just replace the Prosecco with sparkling water or lemonade.
• Buy a bag of granola and some individually sized yogurt so you can also offer a yogurt bar (with all that fruit you’ve got).

Oh, sweet summertime… Cheers!

*IN THIS POST:

Clothing & beauty

White off-the-shoulder romper: Missguided (under $80)
Sun hat: Eugenia Kim (available at NastyGal and Anthropologie)
Foundation: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in ‘Desert’
Lipstick: NARS satin lip pencil in ‘Rikugien‘
Nail polish: Shellac ‘Cream Puff’ (the best white!)
Mascara: bareMinerals

*Click to shop:

Entertaining suggestions & essentials:

Colorful mini-bowls
Silver beverage tub
‘Notch’ wood server/board
Silver ‘Carmen’ Pineapple ice bucket/jar

*Click to shop:

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Iron & Honey Photography

Thanks to Cupcake Vineyards for partnering on this post.