Shake, stir, or pop the cork on these signature cocktails for parties of two or more

White Sangria

As festive a drink as they come. You can use either red or white wine as the base for Sangria but to my taste, white Sangria is the way to go. It's smoother than the red kind and it looks more elegant. It goes easy but packs a real punch (no pun intended). You want your sangria to be well chilled when it's served but instead of diluting all the amazing flavors in the punch bowl with a bunch of melting ice, just put out a bucket of ice so people can fill their glasses with ice before serving themselves. You only need a small bottle of brandy, which should only cost you about seven bucks, but you can make this recipe without it.

2 (750-ml) bottles white wine, chilled
1 cup brandy
2 navel oranges, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1/4 cup superfine sugar

Pour the wine and brandy over the fruit and sugar in a large serving bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stick a ladle in the sangria so people can serve themselves and have a full bucket of ice by the side of the bowl. (Don't let the ice run out.)

Passion Fruit Sangria

2 bottles dry white wine
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Triple Sec
3/4 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves and cooled)
3/4 cup passion fruit puree
2 cups fresh orange juice
3 oranges, sliced into thin rounds
3 green apples, cored and sliced thinly
2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup blackberries, washed and sliced in 1/2

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve over ice with pieces of the fruit.

Passionate Cosmos

Ice
3 ounces vodka
1 ounce passion fruit juice
1 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves, then chilled)
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Passion fruit seeds (optional, for garnish)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour the vodka, passion fruit juice, syrup, and lime juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready.) Strain cosmo into a chilled cocktail glass. Sprinkle with passion fruit seeds, if desired.

Nine perfect champagne cocktails

Unless you're making a drink where the flavor of the Champagne really matters (like the Classic Champagne Cocktail), generally, inexpensive alternatives such as Cava, Sekt, Prosecco or California sparkling wine work well.

Always pour the mixers in first, then top off with Champagne to avoid fizzy overflow.

Mimosa
This one's a brunch classic. Increase the flavor by using a 1:5 ratio of freshly-squeezed orange juice to Champagne. Then add a splash of triple sec.

Kir Royale
The fancy cousin to the made-with-white-wine Kir, the Kir Royale consists of a dash of creme de cassis (currant syrup), topped off with Champagne.

Bellini
Invented at Harry's Bar in Venice, the Bellini is best when made with ripe peaches. If peaches aren't in season, try creme de peche (peach syrup). Use a 1:4 ratio of syrup to prosecco.

Black Velvet
This is an easy and strangely delicious drink with a 4:1 ratio of Champagne to black Irish stout.

Death in the Afternoon
Traditionally made from absinthe, a spirit now illegal in the United States, in a 0.5:5 ratio to Champagne, you can probably substitute pastis or another anise-flavored liqueur.

Poinsettia
For a holiday brunch, make Poinsettias: a 1:4 ratio of triple sec to Champagne, with a splash of cranberry juice added for color.

Nelson's Blood
Named for the British Admiral George Nelson, this makes a great, if slightly morbidly-named, party drink. The recipe calls for a 5:1 ratio of Champagne to tawny Port.

Moving on to the slightly more complicated ones...

Classic Champagne Cocktail
Soak a sugar cube in bitters, drop it into a flute, fill the flute with Champagne and garnish with a twist of lemon. This classic drink dates back to at least the mid-19th century.

French 75
There are a number of French 75 recipes floating around; the only thing people agree on is that it's a serious drink with serious ramifications. Here's the classic: a splash of simple syrup, a bigger splash of lemon juice, an even bigger splash (about an ounce) of gin, topped off with a glassful of Champagne

From the experts in the Food Network Kitchens.