In anticipation of upcoming holiday celebrations, we asked Jesse Goldstein, our cocktail contributor, to come up with a couple of new twists on classic sparkling cocktails. Celebrate responsibly and come back for more great cocktail recipes in the new year.

I’ve often said that it’s a shame sparkling wine seems to be reserved for special occasions. Gone are the days that the only options at your local wine shop are cheap, sweet bubbles or expensive French Champagne. These days you can find many amazing (and affordable) varieties of Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava and California sparklings. Even better, you can also find outstanding rosé varieties, which often have more depth and flavor than their white counterparts.

But just because you’ve got a good bottle of bubbly does not mean there’s no room for improvement. Adding a splash of cordial or a special garnish turns up the flavor of your bubbles and makes it more memorable and delicious for your guests.

Here are a few of my personal favorites.

PROSECCO PUNCH

1 bottle chilled rosé Prosecco
6 cherries (pitted and frozen)
6 ounces pineapple juice
2 ounces brandy
1 ounces Cointreau or Grand Marnier

If using fresh cherries, freeze them first. This helps break down the cellular structure of the fruit and makes for better flavor absorption. Place the frozen cherries in a small jar with the pineapple juice, brandy, and Cointreau. Seal and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, mix with the bottle of chilled rosé Prosecco, reserving the cherries to drop into each glass as a garnish.

CHARTREUSE SPARKLER

.5 ounce Chartreuse liqueur (I personally prefer yellow Chartreuse over the green variety)
Sprig of fresh rosemary
Chilled Cava or Prosecco

Pour the Chartreuse into the bottom of the glass and fill with sparkling wine. Drop in the sprig of fresh rosemary and serve.

ELDERFLOWER ELIXER

.5 ounces St. Germain elderflower liqueur
Strip of grapefruit zest
Chilled Cava or Prosecco

Pour the St. Germain into the glass and fill with sparkling wine. Place a long strip of grapefruit zest into the glass and serve.

APEROL SPRITZ

2 ounces Aperol
1 ounce club soda or seltzer
Chilled Prosecco
Orange zest pigtail

Pour Aperol and club soda into your champagne flute and fill with chilled Prosecco. Garnish with orange zest.

CURRANT + CLOVE

.5 ounce cassis liqueur
2-3 whole cloves
Chilled rosé Cava or Prosecco

Pour cassis liqueur into glass and fill with chilled sparkling wine. Drop a couple cloves into the glass and serve.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
1 sugar cube
5 drops Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Chilled Champagne (Cava or Prosecco will also work)

Saturate sugar cube with bitters and place in the bottom of the glass. Fill with chilled sparkling wine and serve.

LAVENDER + LEMON BUBBLES

.5 ounces Lavender-Infused Vodka
Chilled Cava or Prosecco
Lemon twist

Add the lavender vodka to the glass and fill with chilled sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon twist and serve.

CINNAMON SPARKLES
.5 oz cinnamon syrup (see recipe below)
Chilled rosé Prosecco
Cinnamon stick for garnish

Add the cinnamon syrup to your glass. Pour in an ounce or two of the chilled Prosecco and give it a light stir to incorporate before filling the glass. Add a cinnamon stick to the glass for garnish and serve.

CINNAMON SYRUP

3-4 cinnamon sticks
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

To make the syrup, crush the cinnamon sticks and place in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes before removing from heat and letting sit, covered, for 2 hours. Strain through a coffee filter and refrigerate your syrup between uses.