Seems the party hearty staff of the Times-Picayune have the same thoughts I do about New Year's Eve. Drink it up right. This holiday, the TP lists a dozen takes on the champagne cocktail. Frankly, it's tough to outdo the classic: cube of sugar, five drops Angostura bitters, fill the flute with good champagne, top with a twist of lemon. That's it, the key here is pour what you would drink unadorned. There's no way to disguise bad bubbly, it will only give you the mother of all headaches later on.
From there, the next step on the champagne cocktail trail is the French 75. Cognac (or gin) fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, bubbly. Marcello's Wine Market Cafe, here in Lafayette, does a delicious twist, using Italian prosecco in their Franco 75.
Read the whole story in the TP and get ready for a big bang (that's the cork popping, not Roman candles) New Year's Eve.