5 Champagne Cocktails to Ring in the New Year
It’s a longstanding tradition to welcome a new year with a glass of bubbly. While it may be something you repeat every year, it doesn’t have to be the same exact thing, every single year. Especially when there are so many options for ramping up your champagne game! So, out with the old and in with the new: we’ve rounded up five of our favorite champagne cocktails to help you mix, muddle, and simmer up the best way to ring in the New Year.
Rock Candy Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 cubes of ice
Champagne
4-6 fresh raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries
1 stick of rock candy, color of your choice
Fresh basil sprig
Directions:
Add two cubes of ice and berries to your glass. Add champagne until the glass is half full, and using the stick of rock candy, muddle the berries until desired consistency. Top with more champagne and use the rock candy and basil as a garnish. Cheers!
Classic Ginger, Pear & Cranberry Cocktail
Ingredients:
8 fresh cranberries
2 red Anjou pears, thinly sliced
½ tsp. of finely grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp. pear juice (or pear-flavored vodka)
Moscato wine
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions:
Add ginger, cranberries, and pear juice to a glass. Lightly muddle cranberries, add pear slices and gently pour Moscato wine into each glass until full. Garnish with rosemary and additional pear slices and enjoy!
Kombucha Mimosa
Ingredients:
Flavored Kombucha of your choice
Champagne
Fresh-squeezed orange juice
Fresh berries of your choice
Directions:
Pour ½ C. of Kombucha into a glass, and top with champagne. Add a splash of orange juice to the top and garnish with berries. Salute!
Blackberry and Thyme Sparkler
Ingredients:
¼ C. blackberries
¼ C. water
¼ C. sugar Rosé Champagne
1 sprigs of thyme
2 oz. vodka
1-2 ice cubes
Butter
Sugar for the rim
3 whole blackberries for garnish
Directions:
1. Add blackberries, water, and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the blackberries have released their juice, are supple, and the mixture has turned into a bright reddish-pink color. Remove from the burner, spoon the blackberries out into a separate dish, and allow the simple syrup and berries to cool completely.
2. Pour your gold sugar into a small bowl until it’s about ¼" deep. Using your fingers, rub a little butter onto the top ¼" portion of the rims of your glasses, and dip into the sugar.
3. Add vodka, whole blackberries, blackberry simple syrup, and Rosé champagne to a glass, and top with a sprig of thyme. Enjoy!
Pomegranate Ginger Champagne Spritzer
Ingredients:
Champagne
¼ cup of fresh pomegranate juice
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
4 Tbsp. sugar or simple syrup
½ tsp. of finely grated fresh ginger
Lemon or lime wedges for garnish
Whole pomegranate seeds for garnish
Directions:
1. Put pomegranate juice, lime or lemon juice, sugar, and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for about 5 – 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
2. In a glass, add 1-2 ice cubes and ½ C. of the cooled mixture and top with champagne. Garnish with fresh lemon or lime spiral and pomegranate seeds. Cheers!
We here at Wine Country Gift Baskets wish all of you the very best in the coming year. Whatever you’re doing to celebrate on New Year's Eve, we hope you’re enjoying your last few hours of 2016! See you next year!
