Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 cups syrup, enough for 12 cocktails

Ingredients:
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen), plus 12
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Triple sec (or sub fresh orange juice)
Champagne or sparkling wine (or sub ginger ale)

Pop:
In a saucepan, heat 1 cup cranberries, the water, sugar and zest to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until cranberries pop and syrup turns pink, about 10 minutes.

Chill:
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a wide glass measuring cup. Pour cranberry mixture through, pressing with a rubber spatula. Discard cooked cranberries and zest. Cool syrup. Pour into a 1-pint glass jar (isn't that pretty?), cover and chill.

Mix:
For each cocktail, pour 1 tablespoon triple sec into a Champagne flute. Add 2 tablespoons pink syrup. Fill with Champagne. Drop in 1 cranberry, for decorative effect. Enjoy.