Champage Cocktail Recipes From Alex Day Of Death & Company Lounge On The Lower East Side, New York City

One bonus of a successful New Year's Eve party is a fridge full of leftover Champagne. But if you're toasted-out from the holidays, put it to good use with one of these sparkling wine-based cocktails, courtesy of Death & Company's Alex Day.

Day's Doc Daneeka Royale demonstrates how Champagne's acidity can stand in for citrus juice in a refreshing, oyster-friendly cocktail. "Plus, gin and Champagne have an affinity for one another that is almost scandalous," he says.

For something more intense, try the classic Seelbach, invented around 1917 at the Seelbach hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. "On paper, the drink seems like a nightmare," Day says. "Seven dashes of not one, but two, very potent bitters. But somehow it all comes together: a hearty, warm-me-up-cause-it's-snowing-outside libation, but with all the celebratory fun of Champagne."

Doc Daneeka Royale

Makes 1 drink

2 ounces Plymouth gin

1/2 ounce Grade B maple syrup

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce Champagne or other sparkling wine

One 1-by-2-inch piece of grapefruit peel

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, maple syrup and lemon juice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with the Champagne. Twist the grapefruit peel over the drink and discard. Serve immediately.

The Seelbach

Makes 1 drink

1 ounce high-proof bourbon, such as Booker's

1/2 ounce Cointreau

7 dashes Angostura bitters

7 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Champagne or other sparkling wine

Orange twist, for garnish

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add the bourbon, Cointreau and both bitters and stir until cold. Strain into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne. Garnish with the orange twist and serve.