The Poinsettia

How we make it.

Champagne
A splash of cranberry juice
A few fresh cranberries

Pour into your favorite coupe or flute and enjoy.

Why we make it.

We make this simple champagne cocktail on Christmas Eve because sparkle is important and doesn't need to be complicated. This festive treasure comes from one of the Thumpers, though I can't remember which one. The Thumpers are my mom's dearest friends, named for the small batch Bible study they began decades ago. Elegant and multitalented, they are a constellation of continuity to their church and their children. Their tastes are refined. Their Bibles are worn. Their legacy is stronger than they realize. For years we spent Christmas Eve together until the third generation disbanded the first and second's traditions. The Thumpers are the grandmothers now and must make their tenderloins elsewhere. Still, we make the Poinsettia in honor of the simple sparkle of Christmases past with them. We always will.