Among the brightest pleasures of the holiday season is sparkling wine. While you may want to save that bottle of "real" French champagne for toasting the arrival of a New Year, sparkling wine is a versatile and convivial beverage that suits a variety of occasions. It goes well with most appetizers as an aperitif, and is an ideal complement to roast turkey.
There are also a number of wonderful cocktails that employ sparkling wine and they make the perfect accompaniment to a holiday brunch. Their low alcohol makes them suitable for consuming early in the day, while with their fruit juice content, you can even tell yourself you're drinking healthy. The fact that they "stretch" a bottle of wine also makes them an economical choice when entertaining a crowd, and they're simple to prepare. Another bonus: for designated drivers, expectant mothers, and non-drinkers, you can substitute low-sodium club soda or sparkling water for the wine; no one will know the difference.
Two final points before we get to the cocktails: don't use expensive "real" champagne. I recommend Spanish cava. It's made by the same method as French champagne, it tastes great in a cocktail, and it's a fraction of the price. And serve all these drinks in champagne flutes.
Mimosa: This is the classic and it couldn't be simpler. To 2 oz. of orange juice (squeeze your own or use a good-quality, no-pulp, not-from-concentrate brand like Tropicana), add 3 oz. of sparkling wine.
Grand Mimosa: Kick it up a notch. Add ½ oz. of Grand Marnier to your Mimosa.
Fuzzy Mimosa: Add ½ oz. of peach schnapps to the basic Mimosa.
Creamsicle Mimosa: Hard to find, but worth it. Add ½ oz. vanilla rum or vodka to the basic Mimosa.
Lilosa: Use pink grapefruit juice instead of orange juice.
Pomosa: Instead of orange juice, use pomegranate juice.
Poinsettia: Use cranberry juice instead of orange juice.
Have a joyous and peace-filled Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
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