Life
20 New Year's Eve Drinks To Sip On As The Ball Drops
Sparkly dresses and sequined stockings aside, few things are better than New Year's Eve cocktails. Bathtubs filled with bubbly, counters sprinkled with chardonnay, pitchers fizzing with pinot — no matter how you spend your NYE celebrating, it's going to be a night filled with festive cocktails. It's the last night of the year, time to trade in all our half-completed resolutions for new ones, our lame excuses for more tired ones. It's the last chance to get wasted, kiss a stranger, kiss a friend, drink a few too many glasses of something we know we're going to regret come morning.
If you aren't headed to an overcrowded bar on New Year's Eve (and let's be real, why would you be?), you're either hosting a party at your own digs, or headed to a neighbor's nearby. Ringing in the New Year starts and ends with one thing: booze. You can pass around snacks and goodies all night, but what people really want is fizzing, bubbling, perky drinks — drinks so good they make you see double, drinks so sweet they taste tart, drinks so delightful the ball drops many, many times before it actually drops on the TV screen.
So without further ado, here are the tastiest, fruitiest, dreamiest, and most delicious cocktails to make to ring in the new year.
Cranberry Pear Mulled Wine
It’s technically still the holiday season, and I just love the idea of serving up something simple, traditional, and totally tasty. Couldn’t be Parve’s mulled wine recipe is one for the books, so try it immediately.
Image: Couldn’t be Parve
Citrus Rosemary Vodka Spritzers
When your party-goers ask for something sweet, simple and fun, you give them Jelly Toast’s citrus rosemary vodka spritzers. They’re boozy, but not too much. Sweet, but not too sugary.
Image: Jelly Toast
Berry Sangria
It’s the middle of winter, it’s freezing outside, and chances are it’s going to snow this week. The remedy? Sangria. Ring in 2015 with this berry sangria from Kitchen Confidante. It’s fit-to-burst with fresh fruits, rum, and wine, aka all your favorites.
Image: Kitchen Confidante
Blood Orange and Bourbon
Love and Lemons really blew it out of the park with this one. The freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice is just sweet enough to add flavor, but tart enough so it’s not too sugary.
Image: Love and Lemons
White Peach and Green Tea Bellini
While Bellinis are typically a brunch drink, we couldn’t pass up on this adorable concoction from My Name Is Yeh. I mean, how cute?!
Image: My Name Is Yeh
Honey Sage Gin Fizz
I’d try to sell you on all the ways this drink from How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense is amazing, but there’s really just one detail you need to know: It’s made with bacon.
Image: How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense
Sparking Negronis
Easy, delicious, and picture-perfect. Is there anything else you could ask for from a cocktail? According to The Crepes of Wrath, no — and we agree. Added bonus: You probably already have all the ingredients on hand.
Image: The Crepes of Wrath
Champagne Punch with Raspberry and Orange Liqueur
Nothing says, “New year! Terrible hangover!” quite like a champagne bunch. But if you’re trying to play it semi-safe and beat the day-after blues, this mashup from A Spicy Perspective blends sweet fruits, champagne, and flavored liqueurs together for a dangerously tasty drink. It even has ginger.
Image: A Spicy Perspective
Cherry Whiskey Smash
If your guests aren’t big fans of sweet liqueurs and transparent liquors, How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense have got the cocktail for you. It’s made with Jack, Ginger Brandy, and Amaretto, and then dipped in cherry perfection. Um, yes?
Image: ThreadSense
Strawberry Satsuma Champagne Sangria
Serve this little boozy slice of heaven from How Sweet It Is at your New Year’s fete, or save it for the morning after. The fruit cuts through the bubbly champagne, but here’s fair warning: They’re so good you won’t want to stop drinking.
Image: How Sweet It Is
Grapefruit Shandy
Beer lovers, give your brew du jour a little makeover, courtesy of A Cozy Kitchen, before the big event by adding tons of grapefruits to your favorite wheat beer.
Image: A Cozy Kitchen
Strawberry Gimlets with Homemade Strawberry Vodka
For a DIY treat that’s easy (promise) and delicious, whip up these sugary-sweet Gimlets from Big Girls Small Kitchen. If you’re planning on making the homemade strawberry vodka, give yourself an extra two weeks of prep; you’ll need to let the vodka and the strawberries sit.
Image: Big Girls Small Kitchen
Red Rover Blood Orange and Bourbon Cocktail
Domestic Fits and I would seriously like to thank her husband for dreaming up this tasty cocktail. The acidity of the blood orange cuts through the bourbon, so even your friends who aren’t big drinkers will be back for a second (and third!) glass.
Image: Domestic Fits
Berry Holiday Cocktail
Cupcake Vineyards mixes fresh cranberries, ruby red grapefruit vodka, cranberry juice, black currant juice, and Cupcake Vineyards prosecco to make this ridiculously festive cocktail, perfect for ringing in the new year.
Image: Cupcake Vineyards
The Honeycrisp Cocktail
Want to win for best Instagram candids of the night? This inventive cocktail courtesy of Five and Spice will get you there, especially if you serve them in these retro cups. But aside from being cute, the Honeycrisp is one dangerously delicious cocktail. So, bottoms up!
Image: Five and Spice
Spicy Sweet Infused Vodka Cocktail with a Chili Salt Rim
Want to get a little crazy before 2015 officially kicks off? Food Nasty’s very own spicy and sweet tincture will have you seeing stars long before the ball drops. It’s hot, but you’ll love it.
Image: Food Nasty
Scotch-Champagne Fizz
I love this Food & Style recipe because it cuts through the super tart taste of the champagne by adding a little bit of scotch. You still get your bubbly, just sans the awful morning hangover.
Image: Food & Style
Lime Cordial
Before you reach for that pre-made margarita mix, try this homemade recipe from Joy the Baker on for size. The fresh-squeezed lime will give you that sweet taste, but without all those unnecessary added sugars. Added bonus: There’s even instructions to serve this cocktail three different ways.
Image: Joy the Baker
Grapefruit Gin & Tonic With Cilantro
Yep, now I’ve got your attention! Bet you weren’t expecting to see grapefruit or cilantro hand-in-hand with your staple gin & tonic, were you? This Food & Style speciality is so refreshing, you’ll feel like you’re at the beach rather than huddled inside an overcrowded Brooklyn studio.
Image: Food & Style
The Steadfast
Here’s one to warm you right up. Bourbon and maraschino liqueur combine to make this cozy cocktail by The Crepes of Wrath. A citrus garnish gives this a little extra zest.
Image: The Crepes of Wrath
