More Than Toasts For New Year's

New Year's isn't just about the midnight Champagne toast, or the beer that many will enjoy during the college football playoff games. It's an evening to savor some cocktails, and since you have lots of Champagne on hand, let's see about combining the two for Mixology Monday.

Champagne Mojito

You can make the Mojito base in advance, so there's a chilled pitcher ready to go when guests arrive.

Ingredients
3/4 cup simple syrup
1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
6 limes, cut into wedges
2 cups Bacardi Silver rum
Cracked ice
3 cups Chassenay D'Arce Brut Champagne

In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher.

Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

Citrus 75

Ingredients
1/2 clementine
Ice
1 1/2 ounces Hendricks gin
1/2 ounce Pallini Limoncello
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey syrup (1/2 tablespoon honey mixed with 1/2 tablespoon warm water)
1 ounce chilled Lacourte-Godbillon Brut Champagne
1 lemon twist, for garnish
1 orange wheel, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the clementine. Add ice and the gin, Limoncello, lemon juice and honey syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe, top with the Champagne and garnish with the lemon twist and orange wheel.

French 75

Many believe this drink was devised by American soldiers in World War I hankering for a Tom Collins. They had gin and lemons but no soda, so they used what was at hand: Champagne. The result was named for the French-made 75-millimeter guns used in the war.

Ingredients
Ice
1 ounce Bluecoat American gin
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
4 ounces chilled Chassenay D'Arce Brut Champagne

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, lemon juice and Simple Syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled flute and stir in the Champagne.