4 Sparkling Cocktails to Ring in the New Year

As we say goodbye to 2018 and get ready for the new year to commence, we’re prepping for 2019 the best way we know how – with sparkling, festive cocktails.

If you’re tired of toasting with plain bubbly, these four drinks incorporate spirits, citrus and liqueurs to give them a kick and an eye-pleasing presentation. Mix them up for yourself or a crowd to ring in the new year right.

Belvedere Cheers

Belvedere Cheers

This festive take on the French 75 from Belvedere Vodka includes grenadine in the mix for a sweet, festive touch. It’s a crowd-pleasing cocktail that’s both easy to make and incredibly delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Belvedere Vodka
• .5 oz. Pomegranate Grenadine
• .5 oz. Lemon Juice
• .25 oz. Simple Syrup
• 3 oz. Moet & Chandon Nectar Rose

Preparation: Combine Belvedere Vodka, pomegranate grenadine, lemon juice and simple syrup in a mixing glass with ice. Pour into a flute and top with Moet & Chandon Nectar Rose. Enjoy!

Don’t Dream It, Be It

Don’t Dream It, Be It

Sarah Mengoni, the lead bartender at Kimpton Hotel Palomar’s Double Take restaurant in Los Angeles, was inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show for this elegant drink. Named after Dr. Frank N. Furter’s song Don’t Dream It, Be It, a mix of peach liqueur, Cointreau and prosecco is garnished with a Luxardo cherry for an extra fancy finish.

Ingredients:

• .5 oz Giffard Peche Liqueur
• .25 oz Cointreau
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Prosecco, to top
• Luxardo cherry, (for garnish)

Preparation: Add the Peche Liqueur and Cointreau to a champagne flute. Skewer a Luxardo cherry and balance it on the rim of the glass. Add the dash of bitters over the cherry so the juices trickle into the drink.

Champagne Wishes

Champagne Wishes 

Estiatorio Milos is known for its impeccable Mediterranean seafood the world over, and the Las Vegas location—set inside the stunning Cosmopolitan hotel—also has one of our favorite bar programs in the city. This festive cocktail is made with citrusy vodka, orange-tinged Aperol and flowery St-Germain before it’s topped with a beautiful bubbly rose.

Ingredients:

• .5 oz. Absolut Citron Vodka
• .5 oz. Aperol
• .5 St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 1 dash grapefruit bitters
• Gerard Bertrand Brut Rose, to top
• Orange peel, (for garnish)

Preparation: Add all ingredients, save for the rose and orange peel, to a shaker tin with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass and top with brut rose. Garnish with an orange peel.

Brandy Apple Punch

Brandy Apple Punch

Tim Wiggins, the co-owner and bar manager of Retreat Gastropub in St. Louis, created this sparkling punch to please a crowd. In fact, you can mix everything except for the sparkling wine the night before and let it sit in the fridge so the flavors meld. Simply add the bubbles right before you serve. 

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. brandy or bourbon
• 16 oz. quality apple cider
• 5 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 5 oz. simple syrup
• 10 oz. dry sparkling wine
• 4 cinnamon sticks

Preparation: Combine all ingredients into a pitcher or bowl and stir.