It’s almost 2021... We are all eager to leave 2020 behind us, so there seems to be an extra emphasis on celebrating New Year’s. Though you may not be going to your favorite bar or throwing a big bash, you can still countdown to midnight with some bubbly cocktails. With 2020 being a boundless blunder, popping a bottle of Champagne to celebrate its expiration date just does not seem like enough.
It’s almost 2021...
We are all eager to leave 2020 behind us, so there seems to be an extra emphasis on celebrating New Year’s. Though you may not be going to your favorite bar or throwing a big bash, you can still countdown to midnight with some bubbly cocktails. With 2020 being a boundless blunder, popping a bottle of Champagne to celebrate its expiration date just does not seem like enough. But I will get to that in a minute. Let’s take a moment to appreciate what 2020 did give us – appreciation. We have all been forced to live outside of our comfort zone for most of the year, but I think it helped us all have an appreciation recalibration. It is easy to take simple and everyday occurrences for granted, and this year has highlighted how important they are. Thanks to 2020, we are all a little bit more thankful for teachers who can educate our children so effortlessly. Honestly, I hope to never hear the word “e-learning” ever again. We all feel more appreciative of the nurses, doctors, first responders, essential workers and more who never had the luxury of quarantining at home. And we are a little more grateful for every hug, handshake and in-person hello. So, raise a glass to all of the above and let’s close out this crazy year with cocktails. Many cocktails. Bring it on 2021.
The Recipe
1 ounce gin
¼ ounce simple syrup
½ ounce lemon juice
2 ounces Champagne
Combine gin, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
The Recipe
1 ounce Hornitos Plata Tequila
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
4 ounces Champagne
Add Hornitos Plata Tequila, lime juice and simple syrup to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Top with Champagne.
The Recipe
1 ounce vanilla vodka
½ ounce pear brandy
1 ounce pear nectar
Splash of Champagne
In a shaker filled with ice, add vodka, brandy and pear nectar. Shake and strain into martini glass. Top with Champagne.
The Recipe
4 ounces sparkling Rosé
1 ounce elderflower liqueur
Raspberries
Mint sprig
Combine Rosé and elderflower liqueur in a serving glass with ice. Stir and top with club soda. Garnish with raspberries and a mint sprig.
The Recipe
3 ounces dry sparkling white wine
1 ½ ounces pear vodka
½ ounce simple syrup
Pear slices
Rosemary sprig
Combine wine, vodka and simple syrup in a glass filled with ice. Top with a splash of soda water and stir gently. Garnish with pear slices and a rosemary sprig.
The Recipe
¼ ounce grenadine
1 ½ ounces Pinnacle Original Vodka
4 ounces Champagne
Add grenadine into your glass, followed by Pinnacle. Top with Champagne.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Chopin Vodka
½ ounce blood orange liqueur
1 ounce pineapple juice
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce passionfruit syrup
1 ounce Prosecco
In a blender, add vodka, juices, passionfruit syrup and ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a glass. Top with a splash of Prosecco and serve.
The Recipe
1 ½ cups Jameson Irish Whiskey
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cups red wine
â…› cup Angostura bitters
3 ounces ginger beer
Apple slices
Grated cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, except ginger beer, and stir to combine. Add ice and now top with ginger beer. Garnish with orange slices, apple slices and grated cinnamon.
The Recipe
1 ½ cups Toki Japanese Whisky
1 cup cranberry juice
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup simple syrup
16 ounces sparkling wine
Cranberries
Rosemary
Combine all ingredients, except sparkling wine, in a pitcher and stir to combine. Refrigerate until fully chilled. To serve, pour 2 ounces of sparkling wine into a glass and top with chilled cocktail. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary. Serves 8.
