6 Celebratory cocktails to ring in the New Year

Celebratory cocktails are a perfect way to say goodbye to one year and welcome the New Year. Which one of these festive cocktails will you be enjoying?

Celebratory cocktails are the perfect way to ring in new beginnings. While no one wants to over indulge and have a slow start to the New Year, a festive cocktail can make the evening’s events a little more celebratory.

Since there are so many cocktails with a New Year or festive theme, choosing one can be difficult. One option could be to choose a cocktail that is something familiar. For example, choose a vodka or rum cocktail if that liquor is your favorite.

Another way to go would be to push outside your comfort zone. Maybe you have never tried gin and want to see why all those Englishmen love the botanical spirit.

The key to any good celebration is to remember moderation. If you aren’t accustomed to drinking a lot of cocktails, don’t over imbibe. It will make for a rough start to the New Year.

Here are FoodSided’s recommendations for celebratory cocktails for the New Year.

Casamigos’ Casa Royale, photo provided by Casamigos

Casa Royale

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to add a little gold sparkle to a cocktail. This cocktail from Casamigos is all about the edible gold glitter. With a touch of bubbles from the floater, this cocktail is definitely a celebration in a glass.

"Casa Royale• 1 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila• .5 oz. Crème de Cassis• Rim with edible gold glitter• Top off with chilled champagne or proseccoMethod:Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker, except for champagne or prosecco, and add ice. Shake vigorously for 4-6 seconds then strain into a champagne flute. Top off with champagne or prosecco and garnish with a concord grape on a skewer and edible gold glitter over top."

EXIMO Estrella, photo provided by FACUNDO EXIMO Rum

EXIMO Estrella

Creating a delicious cocktail starts by building flavors. No one will enjoy just a big glass of liquor. This cocktail elevates the FACUNDO EXIMO Rum with a variety of bitters. The bitters offer a nuanced flavor that will have you going back sip after sip. If you don’t have these ingredients at home, time to go to the store.

"EXIMO EstrellaIngredients:· 2 parts FACUNDO EXIMO Rum· ½ part Demerara sugar· 1 bar spoon Crème de Yvette· 1 dash Green Strawberry Bitters· 1 dash Chocolate Bitters· Garnish: Orange peelMethod: Combine all ingredients and stir with plenty of ice until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a zig zag orange peel."

Tito’s Toast, photo provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Tito’s Toast

While Bloody Mary Day might be January 1, a Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktail can be a great way to toast the New Year. This particular celebratory cocktail has a touch of sweetness from the wildflower honey. While this version uses Texas honey (a nod to its Texas roots) another type of wildflower honey can be used as well. The brightness from the lemon juice adds just enough pucker to keep it from being too sweet.

"Tito’s ToastIngredients· 1.5 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka· 0.33 oz Texas wildflower honey· 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice· 3 oz champagne· IceMethod· Combine Tito’s Handmade Vodka, honey and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.· Shake and strain into champagne flute.· Top with champagne and garnish with a strawberry or lemon."

Strawberry Sparkler, photo provided by Ruffino

Strawberry Sparkler

A few flavors are classic combinations. Strawberry and basil are one of those combinations. As herbs become more common in cocktails, this delightful libation offers a sweet yet not overly sugary sip. The basil rounds out the cocktail. Equally as important, the pretty pink color is a lovely way to add some fun to the New Year celebration.

"Strawberry SparklerIngredients· ½ part sugar· ½ part water· 1 ripe strawberries· ½ part basil leaves, torn· 1/8 part lime juice· 1 part Ruffino Sparkling Rosé, chilled· Basil leaves and strawberries, to garnishDirections: In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, cook 2 minutes. Crush the strawberries well with the bottom of a jar or your hands. Add the basil and strawberries to the hot sugar syrup, cover and let cool at least 30 mins. Strain the syrup and add the lime juice. Add 1 ounce of strawberry syrup to a coupe or wine glass. Top with Ruffino Sparkling Rosé. Garnish with basil leaves and some sliced fresh strawberries if desired. TIPS: Strain and refrigerate the covered syrup up to 1 week. Try this breezy cocktail with raspberries or other seasonal soft fruit in place of the strawberries."

Belvedere Cheers, photo provided by Belvedere

Belvedere Cheers

A champagne flute is the glass of the evening for the New Year’s celebration. In this cocktail, the combination of rose bubbles and Belvedere Vodka makes for a festive sip. The combination of pomegranate and lemon adds a touch of brightness to keep the cocktail from getting too sweet.

"Belvedere CheersIngredients:· 1 oz Belvedere Vodka· 0.5 oz Pomegranate Grenadine· 0.5 oz Lemon Juice· 0.25 oz Simple Syrup· 3 oz Moet & Chandon Nectar RoseMethod: Combine Belvedere Vodka, pomegranate grenadine, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a mixing glass over ice. Pour into flute and top with Moet & Chandon Nectar Rose. Enjoy!"

Lemon SOURS Spritz, photo provided by HI-CHEW

Lemon SOURS Spritz</h4
Did Santa bring you a lot of HI-CHEW candy in your Christmas stocking? Don’t let all that candy go to waste. A candy cocktail infusion is quite delightful. This version uses one of the popular liqueurs of the year, Elderflower Liqueur. With a touch of sparkling wine, it is a perfect way to cap a celebration.

"Lemon SOURS Spritz· 1.5 oz HI-­‐CHEW Lemon Sours Elderflower Liqueur**· .5 oz lemon juice· .5 oz simple syrup· Sparkling wineMethod:Shake the liqueur, juice, and syrup with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain into a chilled coupe, top with sparkling wine.**INFUSIONS: The infusion ratio is one piece of candy per ounce of liquor. Soak the candy until dissolved"

What are your favorite celebratory cocktails? Do you have a great cocktail that you would like to share?

Show us what you’re sipping pr your most festive celebratory cocktails. Tag us on social media using #FoodSided.