It’s Champagne December, but it’s also been a long, unforgiving day. You pinched a seriously painful nerve in your right arm fixing things too far above your head. The traffic was awful, the stores crowded, your patience left frozen outside in the winter night as you navigate crowded aisles. Only to return home to a full sink of dishes, and an unrepentant Siamese cat rolling in a pile of stolen Christmas tree ornaments.

Oh, was that not your day? Am I projecting?

Regardless, there will be some days. Let me pause and stress that: there will be some days, where your need for a simple, stiff drink will supersede your need for the finer things.

Roll with it. Don’t waste good champagne on days where you’re steps from sticking your head in the freezer and screaming.

It seemed like a good day to pick through some of my sparkling odds and ends, such as this sparkling rose from Monetto, and experiment with a few cocktail combinations.

Rosé Champagne is a thing, though not common, as it was originally marketed as a cheap alternative to American markets with sweeter tastes. Higher end varieties do exist, such as Moët & Chandon’s Rosé Imperial.

If you’d like to add a bit of color to your sparkling, or as a base for delightful champagne cocktails such as a Raspberry Fizz, this is a great way to go.

That’s it for today, folks. The Week 2 check-in on Champagne December is here, for those who missed it.