Be A Guest At Your Own Cocktail Party With Easy Champagne Drinks

Entertaining for the holidays? 'Tis the season for cocktail parties, but master-mixing custom drinks — one by one for each of your guests — is a full-time job, and that's no fun.

The French way to celebrate is with Champagne cocktails that are a breeze to pour and create a party vibe in an instant. Something else the French know is how to spruce up any bottle of Champagne (or even – sacré bleu! – economical Prosecco or sparkling wine) with a flavorful assist from St-Germain, the original elderflower liqueur. Top the liqueuer off with a fine French Champagne and garnish with a few cranberries, raspberries, or sprig of rosemary. (Rosemerry maybe? Ho ho ho. See what I did there?). Voila! It's an instant St-Germain & Champagne, and it's a party in a glass.

An even easier solution is to mix up a punch to serve in a decorative bowl or large pitcher, and let guests serve themselves. Just make a big batch of Winter Flowers Punch to have ready when guests arrive, and have a second batch chilling in the fridge to replenish from throughout the event. For your next gathering, try one or both of these simple, sophisticated cocktail solutions and see which your guests like best. Whether it's served in cups or stemmed flutes, it's a party in a glass.

For a more complex Champagne cocktail, try Ocean Prime's Berries & Bubbles