Happy almost New Year, everyone! Dave and I are back in Portland after almost a week in my hometown of Wichita, Kansas (where, I will have you know, I found a speakeasy! My people! Check out The Dockum if you are in town, I recommend El Mayor Presidente — rum, duh).

And while I have somehow become a Rum Person when it comes to cocktails (who am I??), I know and you know that nobody wants to be mixing drinks the entirety of New Year’s Eve. NYE is a time for easy drinks, and easy drinking. So I think Champagne cocktails are the way to go. Preferably a $10-15 bottle, for mixing.

That’s what makes the Elizabeth Taylor one of my faves. This crowd pleaser is sweet, but not too sweet. It is only two ingredients. And it gives you an excuse to buy Amarena cherries.

And in case you are wondering, yes, this is sort of tangentially related to the awful, awful news of last week. Elizabeth Taylor was notoriously involved with Eddie Fisher, a.k.a. Carrie Fisher’s dad, while he was married and causing him to be un-married to Carrie’s mom, Debbie Reynolds. Both Carrie and Debbie died last week, one day apart from each other (and by the way, Debbie and Liz eventually made friends and worked together on films). But when the news that Carrie died came, I cried. For real.

If we are friends IRL, you probably already know that Star Wars was a huge part of my life growing up (and still is). Somewhere in the depths of my parents’ basement, there is a Princess Leia costume, along with a crap ton of other Star Wars memorabilia. I first saw the Star Wars trilogy around 5th grade and my life was never the same. Carrie Fisher wasn’t the only thing I loved about the groundbreaking films (that I love more than any other films…) but she was the biggest part.

I can’t overstate what a hero Princess Leia was to girls who grew up wishing Barbie came with brown hair. But not only was she a brunette, she was a badass. She was a fierce leader, she took care of her own shit, and she had the best one liners. Even better than Han Solo – yeah, I went there. She didn’t make little girls want to grow up to be a princess, she made us want to grow up to be a leader and a badass.

As I got older, I studied Carrie Fisher as a person, too (you know… from a distance). I read her books in single sittings and laughed and cried til my ribs hurt. I watched with such happiness as she emerged as a social media darling in the wake of The Force Awakens. She was what I think all women want to be: truthful, forthright, funny and full of love. She certainly had some demons – don’t we all? – But she was honest about them and dealt with them as best she could. And I thank her for both ways she impacted me as I went from girlhood to womanhood.

So, I am still feeling pretty shitty about her passing away. I am reading all the internet things that keep crossing my facebook feed. I am considering a tattoo. I did not expect to feel so sad, but damn.

Well, that escalated quickly. I still think you should make this cocktail. But when you do, dedicate that toast to Carrie, OK?

Elizabeth Taylor Cocktail

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz creme de violette
• 4 1/2 oz. sparkling wine

Instructions

1. Add creme de violette to a champagne flute and then top with sparkling wine.