Champagne is delicious and obvious. And while we can’t say you shouldn’t toast to 2025 with champagne, we can say you have options, lots of options.

We’ve got under-the-radar sparkling wines from Italy, a Prosecco cocktail, and classy liquors to sip on. So cheers to good booze and a great new year.

Dry Sparking Italians

Some think of champagne as dry and Prosecco as sweet. It’s more complicated than that. The Italians make loads of great bruts, or dry wines, some are Proseccos and some aren’t. Anyway… let’s get your delightful, delicious options.

Enrico Serafino 2019 “Oudeis” Alta Langa DOCG Brut ($33) can’t really be considered a splurge (it’s New Year’s Eve!) and this Alta Langa is magically balanced in body, richness, and complexity thanks to a mix of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay.

A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc, Banfi Brut Metodo Classico ($25) is crisp and creamy with a dry finish and a faint hint of sweetness that pairs with a first course — from a fancy cheese plate to old-fashioned nachos. For those who can’t get enough dryness, Berlucchi Franciacorta ’61 Extra Brut ($38) has a bit of citrus but is wonderfully crisp and full-bodied. making it the perfect midnight tipple.

Asti Spumante

Spumante means sparkling wine in Italian. Asti Spumante gets a little more specific by naming the region — Asti is a small city in the northwest not far from France. These bottles of bubbly are made from the Moscato Bianco grape and are sweeter and generally lighter than bruts. Two places to start are offerings from Cocchi and Acquesi. Cocchi’s Asti ($15) has a nice burst of Moscato on the nose, is low in alcohol (7%), and has a sweetness that pairs well with an almond croissant, so maybe drink it with brunch on New Year’s Day? Also low in alcohol, the Acquesi ($15) has a bit of honey and peach to it making it an excellent pairing for something savory with a notch of spice, maybe some egg rolls or samosas.

Gin & juice & Prosecco

There’s no rule against ringing in the New Year with a cocktail. How about New Year’s, New Cheers? This concoction from Gray Whale Gin ($40) is 3 parts Prosecco, 1.5 parts Gray Whale Gin, 1 part pear juice, 0.5 part simple syrup, 0.5 part fresh lemon juice, and two green grapes. Just muddle the grapes, mix together everything but the Prosecco, strain into a champagne flute, and top with Prosecco — a couple more grapes skewered on a rosemary sprig is a great garnish.

For the Prosecco, you want something delicious but not too expensive. Because the fruit adds some sweetness, dry it a bit with Adami Garbél Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut ($18). Or for something with a bit more punch — why hide the Prosecco? — try Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG ($20).

Sips not shots

Sure, down a couple of melon balls or Alabama slammers. We don’t judge. Or, and we’re just spitballing here, sip on a sophisticated rye whiskey. Over ice or neat, we aren’t picky. But why not skip the sugary kids stuff for a nice pour of Sagamore Cask Strength Rye Whiskey ($59). Why rye? Because it’s less sweet than bourbon. Why Sagamore? Well, it’s 112.2 proof (so sip don’t shoot, please) and has a dynamic flavor — smooth but spicy with a bit of vanilla and caramel — so it packs a punch and still goes down easy.

The New Year’s, New Cheers cocktail from Gray Whale Gin. (Photo courtesy Gray Whale Gin)