Let's drink to the rapture.

Well, the Rapture is supposed to be coming, so you'll either be spirited away to eternal peace and happiness by this time tomorrow, or you'll be left here to be devoured by fire or brimstone or something bad. Either way, this seems like a champagne occasion to me.  And if you're still around tomorrow, come on over.  I'll be in the back yard drinking.

(PS--Champagne is so fancy-schmancy.  If you're too poor for it, you can also try these alternatives, which I carefully researched just for you.  And for my puny writing job.)

Classic Champagne Cocktail

Makes 1 drink

½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon angostura bitters
chilled Champagne or other dry white sparkling wine
Lemon or orange peel (optional)

Place sugar in a Champagne flute and saturate with bitters. Fill with Champagne (or substitute) and stir gently.  Drop orange or lemon peel into glass.

Kir

Makes 1 drink

½ oz. crème de cassis
5 oz. dry white sparkling wine

Pre-chill ingredients and mix together in a Champagne flute.

French Orange

Serves 12

3 oranges
1 ½ cups gin
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon angostura bitters
2 750-mL chilled Champagne or other dry white sparkling wine

Cut one of the oranges into twelve thin slices and reserve for garnishes.  Peel the other two oranges and roughly chop.  Place oranges in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon.  Stir in the gin, sugar, and bitters.  Strain into a measuring cup, pressing on solids to release liquid.  Chill 4 hours.

Pour 2 tablespoons gin mixture into each of twelve glasses and fill with sparkling white wine; garnish  the rim of each glass with an orange slice.