New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipes For Parties

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the closing year, and create new goals for what lies ahead. It's a night for parties, and a night for cocktails. Make your New Year's bash extra special by serving up some creative cocktails your guests will love, that will add to the festive fun of the evening.

So stock your bar, prepare the food, and hang the decorations. New Year's Eve will be here before you know it, and you and your guests can watch the ball drop over Time's Square with a fizzy cocktail in hand, perfect for making the first toast of the new year.

Champagne Cocktails

It's just not New Year's Eve without champagne. The perfect base for many cocktails, champagne's tiny bubbles add to the pleasure of a delicious mixed drink.

Strawberry Velvet Champagne

Delicious and sweet, this cocktail will thrill your guests.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup strawberry puree
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Champagne
• Whole strawberry

1. Mix strawberry puree, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar.

2. Pour into chilled champagne flute.

3. Top with champagne, stir gently.

4. Garnish with a strawberry on edge of glass.

Party Mimosa

A tropical take on the classic mimosa.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 ounce apricot-mango nectar
• 1-1/2 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 ounce orange juice concentrate
• Champagne

1. Stir together the fruit juices. Pour into champagne flute.

2. Top with champagne, stir gently.

Pear Sorbet Champagne

Easy and elegant, this is a drink and dessert in one.

Ingredients:

• Pear sorbet
• Champagne

1. Scoop a heaping teaspoon of pear sorbet into champagne flute.

2. Top with champagne.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

Bitters combines with sweet for a sophisticated champagne cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 3 drops bitters
• 1 sugar cube
• 1 ounce cognac
• 4 ounces champagne

1. Drop bitters onto sugar cube, drop into champagne flute.

2. Add cognac, top with champagne.

Martinis

While a true martini is a blend of gin and dry vermouth, stylish new martinis come in many flavors, colors and combinations. Pick one or two of your favorites to keep your party humming.

Pear Pomegranate Martini

Unusual and refreshing, your guests will love this fruity martini.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1-1/2 ounces pear vodka
• 1 ounce pomegranate liqueur
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• Fresh lime wedge
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fresh pear slice

1. Add ice, vodka, pomegranate liqueur, cranberry juice, and juice squeezed from a lime wedge to cocktail shaker. Cover and shake thoroughly.

2. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with a slice of pear and a few pomegranate seeds.

English Rose

A slightly sweet martini for bringing in the new year.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• 1 ounce apricot brandy
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grenadine
• Maraschino cherry
• Ice cubes

1. Pour all liquid ingredients into shaker with ice cubes, shake well.

2. Strain into martini glass.

3. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Classic Cocktails

There's no time like the start of a new year to look back on days gone by. Celebrate the old days with drinks that have withstood the test of time.

Tom Collins

Celebrate New Year's Eve with a classic drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 3 ounces club soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Orange slice
• Maraschino cherry
• Ice cubes

1. Combine gin, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker half full of ice cubes. Shake well.

2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.

3. Add club soda, stir gently.

4. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Manhattan

The King of Cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce bourbon
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
• Maraschino cherry
• Ice cubes

1. Add liquid ingredients to shaker almost full of ice. Shake well.

2. Strain into martini glass.

3. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Sidecar

Another classic drink. You can substitute triple sec for Cointreau if necessary.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces brandy
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice

1. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass.

Non-Alcoholic Options

Alcohol and driving do not mix. Keep your guests safe, and make the designated drivers happy by offering up a delicious non-alcoholic drink for toasting in the new year.

Cinderella Punch

Make your designated drivers feel special with this fruity blend.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces orange juice
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce light sugar syrup
• 1 ounce club soda
• Lemon slice
• Ice cubes

1. Mix fruit juices with sugar syrup, pour into ice-filled highball glass.

2. Stir in club soda.

3. Garnish with lemon slice.

Pear Refresher

You might have to check a specialty shop for pear soda, but it's worth it to mix this delicious, refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces pear soda
• 2 ounces orange soda
• 2 ounces orange juice
• Cucumber slice
• Ice cubes

1. Mix juices together, pour into ice-filled highball glass.

2. Slide the cucumber slice onto the edge of the glass.

Plan ahead to stock your bar for New Year's Eve festivities, keep the hors d'oeuvres circulating and the music pumping for a great night that will be the start of a wonderful new year.