You can also serve red bubblies such as Italian Brachetto and Lambrusco or sparkling Shiraz.

All can be made with ginger ale cocktail for non-drinkers and kids.

For Christmas, the two sparkling cocktails below have a red or red and green color palate. Both are named for great Italian artists:

What’s more Christmassy than a sparkling red cocktail? Photo of the Rossini Cocktail courtesy Chandon USA.

 
RECIPE: ROSSINI COCKTAIL

Ingredients For 4 Cocktails

 
*Ideally the strawberry leaves will be green and perky. If the leaves are wilted, remove them and optionally combine the strawberry with a mint leaf on a cocktail pick or colored toothpick.

Ingredients For 4 Cocktails

 
Preparation

1. Add three or four frozen grapes to each flute glass.

2. Pour 1½ ounces of grape juice into each flute.

3. Fill the glasses almost to the top with Prosecco. Serve.
 
RECIPE: KIR ROYALE

This deep red cocktail is one of our favorites at any time of the year.

Ingredients

1. ADD cassis to taste to the bottom of the flute or tulip Champagne glass.

2. GENTLY POUR the sparkling wine down the side of the glass. Stirring breaks the bubbles, so the better option is not to stir (if you must, stir once, very gently).

7 VARIATIONS ON THE KIR ROYALE

Each is more delicious than the next. Check out the easy recipes.