Your New Year’s Eve festivities won’t be complete if you don’t have something special in your glass to toast the coming era. It’s the perfect occasion for playing mixologist and stirring up a few rounds of thoughtful cocktails to make the moment memorable. Even if you’ve never tried your hand at making mixed drinks before, the start of a new year is your opportunity to pick up some novel skills that will serve you and your guests beautifully.
Be ready for the occasion with these delicious drinks, representing some of the best classic quaffs and contemporary creations on any bar menu in town. There are chilly sips from the frosty side of the table, warming wonders ideal for soothing wintry souls, and a slew of sweet pours that will dance along your palate like a festival of flavor. Plus, we’ve added some tasty snack suggestions to pair with your celebratory drinks. With a few well-chosen ingredients and a dash of home bartending magic, you can transform your evening into a high-flying shindig, even if your celebration is a solo affair.
Frosé Cocktail
Chill out with a sweet, slushy treat that finds a place on the cocktail tray no matter how cold the weather is! Frosé makes it easy to keep cool before the big ball falls in the Big Apple, even if you’re only watching it on TV. All it takes is a sorbet-like blend of berries, rosé, Chambord, and a splash of lemon juice blitzed in the blender and stashed in the freezer before your party starts. It’s a luscious snowball of a beverage that will make certain your evening enjoyment keeps you in the pink.
Spinach-artichoke bites are a savory nibble to pair with your frosé.
Recipe: Frosé Cocktail
Eggnog Martini
With Christmas so close behind, you’re more than likely to have a little eggnog still in the fridge, the perfect base for a New Year’s Eve eggnog martini. Fancy up this humble glug by pouring it into a classic stemmed glass with a cinnamon-sugar-lined rim. Add a blast of whipped cream and a bit of cinnamon for garnish, and prepare to celebrate with a creamy sip of something festive.
Make things even sweeter with a batch of white chocolate-dipped gingersnaps.
Recipe: Eggnog Martini
Chocolate Peppermint Martini
A peppermint patty in a glass is the perfect description for a chocolate-and-mint-flavored martini. What New Year’s reveler could resist this ice cream-like concoction that pairs two of the most primary flavors of the winter holidays together in a single drink? Fans of sweet drinks and ice cream shakes will adore being able to toast at midnight with something this decadent in their happy hands.
Balance out the sweet with a salty and savory traditional Chex party mix as an accompanying snack.
Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Martini
Jingle Juice
Even if Santa has left the building, the holiday season provides the makings of a succulent New Year’s Eve drink in the form of Jingle Juice. This spirited punch invites vodka, Prosecco, and Cointreau to the party, with sparkling cider, orange juice, and lemon juice riding in the sidecar. Frozen cranberries add a necessary chill, while fresh mint and orange slices jazz up the bowl with a blast of vivid color.
Bake your own soft pretzel bites to have a nifty nosh with your drink.
Recipe: Jingle Juice
Porn Star Martini Cocktail
It isn’t just the name that’s an attention-getter; the look and taste of a porn star martini are every bit as show-stopping as the cheeky moniker. Passion fruit liqueur and Prosecco, with a real slice of passion fruit floating on top make for a colorful and exotic visual punch to this sweet tropical cocktail. It’s a bubbly refresher that provides a luxurious spectacle for your evening.
Brie and bacon potato skins are a flavorful partner for this succulent sipper.
Recipe: Porn Star Martini Cocktail
Classic Hot Toddy
For a frosty winter celebration like New Year’s Eve, having a classic hot toddy on hand will keep you warm while you wait for the hands to reach the top of the clock. This soothing, classic beverage is a timeless taste that never fails to comfort in cold weather. Honey, whiskey, and lemon juice dance together in your glass, transforming simple pleasures into a full-blown revelry that will last well beyond midnight.
Bake a loaf of classic cinnamon bread to bring even more flavor to the cocktail table.
Recipe: Classic Hot Toddy
Easy Negroni Cocktail
The Negroni may have come and gone as the internet’s cocktail of the hour a few years back, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still set you up for a night of sophisticated fun for the year to come. This classic Italian digestif, or after-dinner drink, is the perfect follow-up to a fun meal with your party people. The perky tartness of Campari and sweet vermouth joined with herbaceous gin are guaranteed to make your taste buds tingle.
A tapenade topper for toast or crackers will balance out the flavors in the glass.
Recipe: Easy Negroni Cocktail
Classic Aperol Spritz
Aperol spritz may be one of the easiest and most refreshing New Year’s Eve cocktails ever. Aperol floating among the festive fizz of Prosecco and club soda keeps the party fresh and lively, with a pert olive or two bobbing on the surface for flavor and fun. Even novice bartenders can convince a crowd of their talents with this simple yet effective recipe.
Try goat cheese crostini as an urbane hors d’oeuvre to go with your spritz.
Recipe: Classic Aperol Spritz
Decadent Mudslide Cocktail
If you prefer your cocktails on the creamier end of the texture spectrum, a decadent mudslide is the perfect drink for you. It’s a luxurious way to combine New Year’s Eve dessert and drinks into one knockout creation. With vodka and coffee liqueur paired with Irish cream, chocolate sauce, and half and half, this beverage is essentially a rocky road ice cream cone minus the cone. You can even add a splash of amaretto to bring almond notes to the mixture.
Impress your guests with a homemade whipped cream crown on every glass.
Recipe: Decadent Mudslide Cocktail
Chocolate Martini Cocktail
Add a chocolate martini to your home mixology lineup to ensure an indulgent start to the new year. This rich pour combines all the delicious flavors you love from a vodka martini and a mudslide, melding both beverages into one elegant creation. A drizzle of fudge sauce and artful chocolate shavings make it even more fun to hand out to friends.
Place a cheese board next to your martinis to keep things from getting too sweet.
Recipe: Chocolate Martini Cocktail
Original Paper Plane Cocktail
With a name that suggests you’ll be soaring into January’s first moments, the Original Paper Plane cocktail doesn’t disappoint. Just blend Aperol with bourbon and Amaro Nonino, an earthy liqueur that zaps the mixture with a citrusy, floral zing. A miniature paper airplane clinging to the rim makes for whimsical décor everyone will adore.
Set a bowl of mixed dried fruits and nuts on your party table to keep this cocktail flying on the straight and narrow.
Recipe: Original Paper Plane Cocktail
Credit: https://www.mashed.com/1477975/new-years-eve-cocktail-recipes/
