Pop, Fizz, Clink: Champagne Cocktails to Ring in the New Year

By: The Local Palate

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The sound of popping corks is a hallmark of the holiday season

Even if you aren’t springing for the good stuff, you can still add a little oomph to your glass. With that in mind, we turned to Todd Thrasher—sommelier, mixologist, and now distiller at Thrasher’s Rum—to jazz up our champagne toasts.

When mixing with bubbly, Thrasher taps Virginia FIZZ, a sparkling wine made with chardonnay grapes from Charlottesville-based Thibaut-Jannison Winery. “It’s a little sweeter, so it’s made for cocktails,” he says of the wine’s residual sugar content and fruit-forward flavors. (And when searching for mix-worthy bubbles, skip the cheapest bottle— quality ingredients make for a good cocktail.) Thrasher’s take on the classic champagne cocktail even involves some pyrotechnics, just the thing to impress your guests this New Year’s Eve.