When I was a kid, I always imagined I would grow up to wear strappy high heels with designer dresses and that I would dash off to parties full of urbane conversations. At these events I would drink champagne cocktails. Blame it on a childhood watching too many Doris Day and Deborah Kerr movies, but my real-life adulthood never quite lived up to my Pillow Talk expectations.

After recently pondering the lack of glamour in my life, I realized that although elegant cocktail gatherings can be delightful, I actually enjoy my life of small dinner parties with friends and family more than I probably would the type attended by Ms. Kerr and Ms. Day ("probably" is the key word here). So instead of longing for a 1960s life unachieved, I decided to start making champagne cocktails.

There are so many reasons to serve champagne cocktails, but the top three are:

1. Champagne (or prosecco, cava, or any other sparkling wine) tastes delightful when mixed with other alcoholic beverages.

2. The shimmering splendor of a champagne cocktail, particularly when partnered with alcohols that have a rich color, make them perfect for the holiday season.

3. Champagne cocktails are effortless to prepare.

Making this elegant fizzy drink is as easy as pouring two or more types of alcohol into a glass. This means that even the failed martini makers among us can feel like accomplished bartenders. The original champagne cocktail consists of champagne, bitters and sugar, but as I'm not a big fan of bitters, I go for sweeter amalgamations. Port, Muscat or other dessert wines are my top choices, although raspberry, cherry and pear liqueurs are a close second. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, and brandy also work well, and I hear blueberry schnapps makes a gorgeous aperitif. But honestly, just mix in whatever sounds good to you.

It doesn't matter if you're having a chic cocktail party or an intimate celebration dinner; it's easy to add a splash of Doris Day chic to your holiday season.

How to Make a Champagne Cocktail:
Place 1 ounce of your chosen alcohol into champagne flute and then fill with champagne, prosecco, cava or sparkling wine.

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