Elevate Your Holiday Party With 3 Sparkling Wine Cocktails

‘Tis the season for twinkle lights, cozy fires, and bubbly cocktails. In this edition of Prep School, Megan Mitchell is serving up some holiday cheer in the form of three celebratory sparkling wine sips. Each recipe makes two drinks, but you can double or triple the ingredients if you’re pouring for more people (or just want another round).

Elderberry Fizz

Who says a wellness shot can’t get all dressed up? Sweet elderberry syrup anchors this purple-hued cocktail that’s mixed with floral St. Germaine and woody thyme.

Yield: 2 cocktails
Active time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Crespaia Spumante Brut 2017
2 teaspoons St. Germaine
2 teaspoons Thrive Market Organic Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry crystals
2 thyme sprigs

Instructions

Fill champagne coupes ¾-full with sparkling wine. Add St. Germaine and elderberry syrup; stir. Top each drink with a sprinkle of elderberry crystals and a thyme sprig.

Grapefruit and Sage Sparkling Cocktail

In this cocktail, tart grapefruit is balanced with soothing sage, and topped with a splash of sparkling wine.

Yield: 2 cocktails
Active time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Clos de la Briderie Purete de Silex Crémant de Loire NV
2 ruby red grapefruits, halved
Grapefruit bitters
Fresh sage leaves

Instructions

Warm a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place grapefruit slices cut-side down into the hot pan and sear 2 to 3 minutes, or until charred. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. (You need ½ cup of juice for each cocktail.)

To make the cocktails, pour ½ cup charred grapefruit juice into each champagne coupe. Top with sparkling wine and a few dashes of bitters. Garnish with sage leaves.

Blood Orange Spritz

Celebrate the bounty of winter citrus in this sweet cocktail that’s shaken up with blood orange juice, a squeeze of lemon, vodka, and refreshing mint.

Yield: 2 cocktails
Active time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Ice
2 blood oranges, juiced (about ½ cup)
1 small lemon, juiced
1 egg white
¼ cup vodka
Coteau de Verrière Touraine Méthode Traditionnelle 2013
Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add blood orange juice, lemon juice, egg white, and vodka; vigorously shake for 1 minute. Strain into 2 champagne coupes; top off with sparkling wine and garnish with mint leaves

Recipes by Megan Mitchell