The holidays are in full swing, and what’s a festive party without bubbly? The very sound of that Champagne bottle popping elicits the urge to start toasting. While we would all love to serve free-poured Krug Grande Cuvee, the pocketbook can hinder this luxurious notion. But don’t despair — here are some fabulous bubbly cocktail ideas to keep your guests well satiated and impressed with your entertaining savoir-faire.

If you aren’t crazy about pouring the real stuff for mixing cocktails, a perfect substitute is a nice, dry brut from Mendocino, Calif. Scharffenberger Brut Excellence ($18.99, available at Fujioka’s Wine Times) comprises chardonnay and pinot noir, produced in the “methode traditionelle,” wherein the wine is individually bottle-fermented. Your palate will be pleasantly surprised by the amazing complexity and layers of flavor.

Another solid choice is Lokelani rose sparkling wine ($23.99, Whole Foods Market), which provides all the acidity and dryness of a Champagne. This Maui offering is a delightful blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, with a little estate-grown syrah. It’s always nice to support local producers, especially when they’re making juice this good.

With options like these, you can please a range of palates without having to break the bank. I don’t know about you, but I can certainly toast to that.

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Thanks to “Mad Men” and the classic cocktail revolution, the popularity of brown spirits has risen considerably. To please discerning palates, a well-made bourbon option is not a bad idea. Down the Chimney incorporates iconic Maker’s Mark, local honey and ginger syrups, angostura bitters and sparkling wine, finished with orange essence, a rosemary sprig and a floating cranberry, just because.

Down the Chimney

• 2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
• 1/4 ounce local honey syrup (dilute 5 parts honey with 1 part hot water)
• 1/2 ounce Pacifikool ginger syrup
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• Scharffenberger Estate brut or Louis Roederer Brut Premier
• Wide orange swath, oils expressed, for garnish (see note)
• Rosemary sprig, for garnish
• Cranberry, for garnish

To mixing glass, add bourbon, syrups, lemon juice and bitters. Fill with ice, shake and strain into tall highball glass over fresh ice. Top off with sparkling wine. Stir to combine. Garnish with orange swath, rosemary and floating cranberry. Serves 1.

Note: To make orange swath, use vegetable peeler and peel from top of orange to bottom, creating a rectangular orange peel. With the skin side facing the cocktail, squeeze outer edges of peel to express oils on top of drink. Then twist and lay swath on top of cocktail.

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Those who like to mingle more than pour will find a fantastic alternative in a sparkling sangria, served in a beautiful punch bowl, pictured above. The Maui & Bright combines Maui-made Lokelani rose sparkling wine, Absolut Apeach vodka, mango puree and fresh citrus juices. It’s refreshing and easy to drink even as the sparkling wine and citrus keep the sweetness under control. Your punch bowl will need to be refilled in no time.

Maui & Bright

• 1 large block ice (purchased from Hawaiian Ice Co., or freeze water in large square plastic container)
• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Absolut Apeach vodka
• 12-1/2 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 12-1/2 ounces orange juice
• 12-1/2 ounces pineapple juice
• 12-1/2 ounces cranberry juice
• 12-1/2 ounces mango puree
• 2 bottles Lokelani rose sparkling wine
• Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, for garnish

Place large block ice in punch bowl. Add all ingredients except sparkling wine. Add sparkling wine immediately before serving. Garnish with thin strawberry slices and floating blueberries and raspberries. Serves about 25.

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What’s old is new once more. Classic cocktails have been reincarnated, and recipes from the Prohibition era are not only back, they’re completely en vogue. One of the classics is the Champagne Cocktail, the perfect marriage of allspice, sugar, lemon zest and Champagne, all dolled up in a crystal flute. It’s a drink that practically shouts “holiday!” with its nuances of clove and cinnamon. Angostura bitters is a must in this drink. Though not the most obvious component that comes to mind, bitterness leaves the palate dry and wanting for that next sip or next bite.

Champagne Cocktail

• Metropolitan Hotel, circa 1835
• 1 sugar cube
• 3 to 4 dashes angostura bitters
• 4 ounces Scharffenberger Estate brut or Louis Roederer Brut Premier
• Long lemon twist, for garnish

Add sugar cube to bottom of Champagne flute. Soak with bitters and break up with end of bar spoon. Add sparkling wine slowly so as to not overflow the glass. Garnish with lemon twist. Serves 1.

Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of Hawaii.