Grab the bubbly because the New Year is here! With less than one week until New Year's Eve and the Christmas holiday in the past, it's time to finalize your plans for ringing in 2007.

If you will be hosting a New Year's Eve party you may want to think about mixing cocktails with your favorite bottle of Champagne as opposed to serving it straight. One good trick for timing these cocktails with the ball drop is to line up all the Champagne flutes you'll need and pouring in the chosen spirits and mixers. Once you pop the bubbly bottle, simply top the prepared glasses with the Champagne and pass them around. This ensures your guests will have the freshest, bubbliest first cocktail of the New Year.

Cocktails for the New Year:

• Bellini
• Champagne Cocktail
• Elit Midnight Millionaire
• Kir Royale
• Poinsettia
• Tezón Mistletoe (pictured)
• SKYY Winter
• All Champagne Cocktails

Since New Year's Eve falls on a Sunday this year, your plans may conflict with any blue laws that are active in your area. Blue laws prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays and a few states and municipalities still have these laws on the books. There is a growing trend for temporary suspension of these laws when a Sunday is also a major holiday. Check your local laws if you live in a blue area and stock up ahead of time if necessary or you're out of luck and spirits.

You'll hear it more often than you probably care to, but it's key to beginning the new year off without any unfortunate circumstances: Drink Responsibly and Designate a Driver. New Year's Eve is one of the busiest nights for law enforcement and has a higher rate of alcohol related car accidents than any other night of the year. Spending the first hours of 2007 in jail, in the hospital or worse is not the fresh beginning we desire with the turning of the clock and can be avoided by simply planning ahead.

Photo Courtesy of: © Tequila Tezon