Cheers: Champagne on the cheap
If you’re serving the champagne this New Year’s Eve, but find yourself falling somewhere on the bubbly budget scale somewhere above Andre, but below Dom Perignon, never fear—we have a list of three delicious champagne cocktails that compliment sweet, lower-end sparkling wine varietals. Stick to dry sparkling wines—aka Brut—for best results, and make sure your wine and your flutes are chilled.
Strawberry Bellini
With Louisiana strawberries in season, this cocktail is a perfect switch-up to this traditional peach-flavored tipple.
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries plus 8 long-stemmed strawberries, for garnish
2 tablespoons simple syrup
Champagne or sparkling wine
Directions:
Place strawberries and simple syrup into a blender. Strain strawberry mixture. Pour into glasses and top with champagne or sparkling wine.
Poinsettia
Although it’s more of a Christmas cocktail, it’s delicious any time of the year.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine
1/2 cup cranberry juice
Crushed ice
Directions:
Combine the vodka, Champagne or sparkling wine and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled.
Tiziano
This sweet cocktail can work with sparkling wine, but worst best with a decent bottle of Prosecco for a base.
Ingredients:
6 ounces white grape juice
Chilled Prosecco
Frozen green or red grapes
Directions:
Pour 1 ˝ ounces of the grape juice into each of four flute glasses. Fill glasses with Prosecco. Carefully drop one or two grapes into each glass and serve.
