champagne wishes...

Happy New Year! Thank you all for an incredible year... I'm beyond grateful for your love, support and loyalty. Though it's been an eventful and life changing 2010 for me, I can't wait to see what new adventures are on the horizon for 2011.

To help inspire your celebrations this evening, I've created a mini inspiration board honoring a classic New Years tradition-the Champagne Cocktail! Break out that bubbly and mix it up using one of the delightful recipes below.

Best wishes to you all and many happy returns...

 A Champagne Cocktail Countdown

4. The Classic...

Serves 1...

-3 drops bitters

-1 sugar cube

-1 ounce Cognac

-4 ounces chilled Champagne

Drop bitters onto sugar cube; let soak in. Place sugar cube in a Champagne flute. Add Cognac, and top with Champagne.

{via martha stewart}

3. Blackberry Champagne Cocktail...

Serves 4...

-4 blackberries, quartered

-1/4 cup triple sec

-4 sugar cubes

-Angostura bitters as needed

-1 bottle (750ml) Champagne, Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine, chilled

In a small nonreactive bowl, combine the blackberries and triple sec and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the fruit macerate.

Place 1 sugar cube in each of 4 Champagne flutes and add 1 or 2 dashes of bitters to each one. Spoon 4 pieces of marinated blackberry in each flute. Top with Champagne and serve immediately.

{via the food channel}

2. Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail...

Serves 1...

4 oz champagne

1 oz pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon cassis

Pour chilled champagne into a flute, then add pomegranate juice and cassis.

{via hostess with the mostess}

1. Sparkling Cranberry Rose...

Serves 8-10...

-8 to 10 sugar cubes

-1 to 1-1/4 cups cranberry juice

-1 750-milliliter bottle sparkling rosé wine, champagne, or sparkling white grape juice

- Fresh cranberries

Place one sugar cube in the bottom of 8 to 10 chilled champagne flutes or other tall, narrow glasses. Pour 2 tablespoons cranberry juice into each glass.

Fill each glass with sparkling rose wine or champagne. If desired, place a wooden skewer of fresh cranberries in each glass.

{via better homes & gardens}

... Happy New Year!