Champagne

Happily, we found that the only word which rhymes with Clicquot was a tasty white rum.

Brunch isn't really brunch without sparkling cocktails. This is an almond-flavored take on the classic.

Blood orange pulp and a dash of bitters update the classic Champagne-gin cocktail. Make the base for the drink one day ahead if you like.

Each low-cal helping serves up heart-friendly flavonoids (found in the skin).

This super-easy and refreshing dessert is part Kir Royale, part peach parfait. For a very cool treat, layer the fruit and ice cream in frosty collins or pilsner glasses straight from the freezer. Serve with iced-tea spoons.

When selecting the Champagne for this cocktail, we wanted something moderately dry but with a hint of sweetness. Demi-sec (a French term meaning "half dry") Champagnes and sparkling wines provide the perfect balance.

Look for pomegranate juice in the juice aisle or fresh juice section of the supermarket.

Sweet and tangy kumquats make this sparkling cocktail extra special.

Sliced strawberries infuse raspberry brandy with fresh berry flavor, and the strained liqueur is topped off with Champagne.

We chose to garnish our cocktail with Seckel or Forelle pear slices because of their small size — they fit perfectly in the Champagne flutes. Be sure to lower the slices slowly into the flute or the Champagne will bubble over.

If you can't find fraises des bois liqueur in your local liquor store, you can substitute cassis or Chambord, though the cocktail will taste somewhat different.

Passion fruit nectar adds a tropical twist to this traditional brunch cocktail.

Passion-Fruit Champagne Cocktail

We thought we would update the popular Cosmopolitan by substituting Champagne for the usual lemon vodka. We garnished the drinks with skewers of sugar-coated fresh cranberries (thawed frozen ones will work just fine, too).

This Franco-American combination of bourbon and bubbles gives you another reason to be thankful. It doubles easily to accommodate the number of guests around your holiday table.