How To Make Cheap Champagne Taste Expensive

Ahh, champagne — it's a treat so light, so refreshing, so bright and festive, that I would go so far as to call it holiday cheer in a glass. It can also be pretty expensive. That's why learning how to make cheap champagne taste good is the ultimate party trick. With a few bubbly hacks, you'll have a seasonal drink to be proud of.

Champagne's tiny bubbles of fun can help you get into the spirit like no other beverage, but if you are trying to host a holiday get-together for 10 or 20 (or just one or two) of your closest pals, it's tough to justify opening your wallet to purchase a bottle of expensive alcohol. The gift list is long enough, and December, you are too darn expensive.

But if you still want to enjoy a glass or two of champs, or treat your friends to a fun holiday cocktail experience (and who doesn't?), I've got you. There are plenty of ways to add some festive flair to the cheap stuff. A fantastic glass of bubbly need not be pricey, and it need not be complicated. Some simple tricks — from sugar cubes to orange peels, to other items you might already have in your kitchen — will have that $10 bottle looking, feeling, and tasting like an extravagant treat. Because who doesn't love to feel a little swanky in their ugly sweater?

1. Set Up A Pear And Cranberry Champagne Bar

Cranberries and rosemary add a pretty, festive garnish. Pear sweetens and plays off of cranberry's bittersweet notes. It all works to seriously kick up plain old champagne in this easy, DIY cocktail, courtesy of The Kitchn. Cheers!

2. Turn It Into An Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

I am a big fan of elderflower liquor's delicate, botanical flavor, especially when it's part of a cheap and easy holiday drink. In this recipe, The Kitchn uses those floral notes to jazz up cheap champagne, along with berries for sweetness, and seltzer for extra sparkle. Feel free to use frozen berries, or mix it up and use what is in season as garnish. See if you keep it to one glass — bet you can't!

3. Throw In A Sugar Cube And An Orange Peel

Simply add a dash of bitters and an orange peel to a glass of cheap-tastic bubbly. Top off with a sugar cube, and watch the effervescence foam up around the little square of sweetness. You probably already have the ingredients for Savory Sweet Life's fun-filled drink right in your kitchen.

4. Experiment With Citrus

For the citrus lovers out there, My Baking Addiction's combination of fresh orange juice, pomegranate, and champagne is sure to please. The crimson color is pure holiday season, too. Move aside, mimosas!

For more boozy holiday ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

Images: Sam Howzit/Flickr; The Kitchn; The Kitchn; Savory Sweet Life; My Baking Addiction