A homemade cranberry simple syrup puts this sparkling cocktail recipe into fancy party-worthy status. Use leftover Campari to make your very own Negroni or Americano.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

Cranberry-Thyme Syrup:

6 sprigs thyme

　　1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　

Assembly:

2 ounces fresh lemon juice

　　1 ounce Campari

　　12 ounces Champagne or dry sparkling wine

　　Fresh cranberries (for serving)

　　

Cranberry-Thyme Syrup:

Step 1

Cook thyme, cranberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over low, swirling pan occasionally, just until sugar is dissolved and cranberries have released their color, 12–15 minutes (do not reduce liquid). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and let cool (you should have 4 oz.).

　　

Assembly:

Step 2

For each cocktail, combine 1 oz. cranberry-thyme syrup, 1/2 oz. lemon juice, and 1/4 oz. Campari in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Cover and shake vigorously until the outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with 3 oz. Champagne; garnish with 3 cranberries on a skewer.

　　

Do Ahead

Step 3

Syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill.