Offer up a toast this New Year’s Eve with a pretty glass of bubbly splashed with pomegranate juice for a bit of color and a hint of sweetness. While the pomegranate seeds are a nice touch, I usually don’t bother with them.

These days you can get good bubblies from Spain (cava) or the States (California, Washington) for under $10 a bottle. I always use a brut (dry) sparkling wine. Stay away from demi sec (sweet) bubblies unless that’s what you prefer. Make sure your sparkling wine is well chilled…then let the festivities begin!

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
-recipe from Seriously Simple Holidays by Diane Rossen Worthington

This is a festive way to begin a special brunch or dinner. Serves 6.

6 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
One 750-ML bottle Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled

Pour 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate juice into each Champagne flute. Add a few pomegranate seeds (they will drop to the bottom). Pour about 4 ounces of Champagne into each flute. Serve immediately.

Tags: brut, cava, Champagne, cocktail party, cocktails, festive drinks, New Year's Eve, sparkling wine

Here’s an updated version of the bellini, a cocktail that originated in Italy that consists of sparkling wine and white peach purée. This recipe features mango nectar (or juice) instead of peach purée. It’s beautiful, festive and delicious! This cocktail would be a perfect beginning to a brunch or an al fresco (outdoors) dinner party. For an extra ”pop” of color, garnish each champagne flute with 3 whole raspberries.

As a side note, my pretty French Country flutes are made by Mikasa. If you don’t already have champagne flutes, you should buy a few. They don’t take up much space and they make a celebration that much more special!

Mango Bellini
-makes 1 drink.

1 part mango juice
2 parts chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
3 whole raspberries

Fill a champagne flute one-third full with mango nectar. Top with sparkling wine, leaving a little room for the raspberries, and stir gently. Place raspberries in champagne flute. Enjoy!

Tags: Champagne, cocktail, mango bellini, sparkling wine