For this New Year's Eve, you might use prosecco to make a new cocktail being served in Italy, made with prosecco, German beer and French cassis.

According to Agence France Presse, it's a "eurozone-inspired cocktail that rises and falls in price depending on the government's borrowing costs....[T]he price of the drink varies with the fluctuation in the spread between Italian and German bonds."

It's served in a Martini glass, with a twist of lemon.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...15809adf61.7b1

I like prosecco well enough, but I prefer the crémants, particularly the crémant d'alsace:

http://www.terroir-france.com/region/alsace_cremant.htm

It's wonderful with a bit of pomegranate juice.

We're having a couple of dozen people in next weekend and I was planning to serve Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, as a low-cost tipple good for a casual party.
But Mumm's Napa is a good alternative, tho' more expensive. We shared a couple of bottles with friends last weekend in Bermuda and quite liked it.
And we have a certain amount of Crémant de Bourgogne in the cellar.
Lots of helpful info/ recs. on this thread -- thanks.

Our standard Twelfth Night pre-dinner cocktail is Prosecco and Peach juice for a Bellini, or at least our version of one. I also prefer Prosecco to Champagne.

As for when to drink prosecco or champagne, this quote from Lilly Bollinger:

I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty.

Precisely!

StCirq.....really, pomegranate juice...how much? This might very well be my xmas eve drink. I usually make kir royals with Prosecco but this intrigues me, I've never tried it..did you make it up? Sounds delicious and pretty and the perfect drink to start off a long night of fun!