NYE Cocktail: Plum Sparkler

New Year's Eve is always one of the most exciting nights of the year, meant for celebrating the highs of the past 12 months, or if the highs were few and far between, celebrating the fact that the year is over. On such a night, one could be forgiven for foregoing a fussy cocktail for simple glass of champagne, but I'm here to let you know that you can have it both ways. Here's my recipe for the easiest champagne cocktail ever.

Plum Sparkler

1 sugar cube
A few dashes of plum bitters (feel free to substitute another kind if you can't find plum)
Dry champagne

Place the sugar cube in your glass and add bitters. Fill glass with champagne.

That's it! The bitters will counteract some of the sweetness, but be sure to use a dry champagne (Brut) unless you like it to be really sweet. Traditionally, champagne cocktails are made with brandy, Angostura bitters, and a maraschino cherry, but this simplified version is just as good.

On a personal note, 2013 has been a pretty fantastic year for me. One of the biggest highlights has been contributing to BombPop. I really appreciate the warm welcome I have received from our readers, and I am looking forward to sharing even more in the coming year. Happy 2014!