New Year’s Cocktails for Bubbly Personalities
With the holiday season all about traditions, celebrate the end of the year with these beloved classic cocktails, from festive sparkling drinks to cozy nightcaps.
Negroni Sbagliato from Imbibe
Even though you’ll toast the stroke of midnight with a glass of Champagne and/or a sparkling cocktail to kick off the new year, why not celebrate the hours leading up to that point by imbibing the following cocktails at your New Year’s Eve party? These straight-up classics, from sparklers like the Classic Champagne Cocktail to nightcaps like the Irish Coffee, are traditionally enjoyed on New Year's Eve and easy to make at home.
Jump ahead to:
New Year's Eve cocktail tips >>
Note: The Yummly Meal Planner is available to paid subscribers.
New Year's Eve cocktail tips
Looking for inspiration for your New Year’s Eve fête? Start your search here.
What are good New Year’s Eve drinks?
Aside from sparkling cocktails, you can serve holiday punches or any of these festive drinks, which include takes on classics such as a rosewater Manhattan. For those who don't drink alcohol, there are also plenty of cheery mocktails.
What are some good champagne cocktails for New Year's Eve?
Since you're already all stocked up with bubbly for your midnight Champagne toast, sparkling cocktails are usually the way to go as they are also the easiest to make and pair well with appetizers. For a mimosa, add a glug of orange juice to your glass of champs. For a Bellini, pour in peach nectar or purée. And for a Kir cocktail, whether you're using Champagne, white wine, or sparkling wine, splash in crème de cassis. Or there’s the option of stirring up a champagne punch to serve the masses. This Citrus and Mint Champagne Punch makes about 25 servings.
Sparklers
Since cocktails with a bit of bubbly connote celebrations, fix up these drinks this holiday season.
Aperol Spritz
Usually the staple of brunches, aperitivo hour, and summery evenings, this ubiquitous cocktail made with prosecco, Aperol, and soda water is still a refreshing way to start New Year’s Eve.
French 75
This tart, effervescent brunch staple, which is named after a World War I field gun, is said to bring out the best in its ingredients of gin, lemon juice, and Champagne or sparkling wine and will serve as an enlivening welcome cocktail at any party.
Classic Champagne Cocktail
How to make Champagne even more bubbly? Drop a sugar cube into the Champagne flute — along with the sparkling wine, Angostura bitters, and a squeeze of lemon peel — and enjoy the ongoing fountain of bubbles.
Kir Royale
A favorite to serve on New Year’s Eve, this elegant, colorful sparkler is made with Champagne sweetened with a bit of crème de cassis (blackberry liqueur). If you prefer to use any other white sparkling wine — cava or prosecco — then it’s called Kir Pétillant. But either way, it’s delicious.
Death in the Afternoon
For a classy Champagne cocktail to toast the ball drop, fix up this classic created by Ernest Hemingway. This cocktail recipe sweetens the drink with some simple syrup or a sugar cube to suit more modern palates. And not to fret if you don't have absinthe on hand. Simply substitute pastis or Pernod.
Negroni Sbagliato
This stunning cocktail originated when a bartender mistook a bottle of prosecco for gin while attempting to make a Negroni. Now the Negroni Sbagliato, which means “mistake” in Italian and also features Campari and sweet vermouth, has not only become a favorite hangover cure but a recent TikTok star.
Black Velvet
One would never think to mix Champagne with beer, but the high-low combination works so well here. A vintage cocktail that appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book, it involves layering the bubbly over the stout beer for an impressive fizzy top and black bottom layer presentation.
Moscow Mule
If wine isn’t for you but you want some fizz this evening, the classic Moscow Mule with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer will deliver. Crisp and refreshing, this approachable drink appeals to both vodkaphobes and vodkaphiles.
Sparkling Margarita
The classic Margarita is already the go-to for many a celebration, be it Cinco de Mayo, happy hour, or Fridays. But to get it dressed up for New Year’s Eve, this recipe, which makes 2 to 3 cups, simply adds club soda to the tequila cocktail of orange liqueur, fresh squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup.
Spirit forward sips
These potent and straightforward cocktails are ideal for sipping while pondering the past year.
Vesper
Throwing a fancy affair for New Year’s? Serve up this 007 classic, a hybrid of a classic gin martini and a vodka martini. James Bond creator Ian Fleming specifies using Kina Lillet, but since that dry vermouth disappeared in the ‘80s, the updated cocktail recipe suggests Lillet or Cocchi Aperitivo Americano.
Last Word
For a very strong start to the year, try this herbaceous gin cocktail made with equal parts maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice, and green Chartreuse, a verdant and potent French liqueur.
Bourbon Old Fashioned
Bid the old year adieu with this 19th-century cocktail recipe. Its list of ingredients is actually the standard definition for the cocktail: spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. Easy to make, all you need is your favorite bourbon, Angostura bitters, and sugar.
Bottled Manhattan
The beauty of a bottled Manhattan is you can make it ahead of time and stash it in the refrigerator for when you’re ready to serve it. It’s also portable and would make a much-appreciated host gift.
Nightcaps
Finish off a memorable evening and year with these comforting cocktails.
Espresso Martini
This coffee cocktail continues to be all the rage at bars and a favorite after-dinner drink with its mix of espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka. But even though the traditional Espresso Martini is made with Kahlua, this recipe also offers its own delicious recommendations.
Brandy Alexander
Close the year or start the new one with this sophisticated version of the White Russian. A dessert concoction of brandy, crème de cacao, and heavy cream, it’s the perfect choice for a holiday party.
Hot Penicillin
The Penicillin cocktail, a refreshing modern classic, actually has the makings of a comforting hot toddy with scotch, ginger, and honey. For this hot take on it, hot apple cider is added to the mix and then topped with ginger beer for kick.
New York Sour
Wherever you are on New Year’s Eve, you’re probably counting down with New York’s iconic ball drop. And what better way to toast the Big Apple than with the New York Sour, a whiskey sour colored with an aromatic layer of red wine?
The Dead Rabbit Irish Coffee
The Irish coffee is said to be the most beloved of hot drinks and for good reason. Lightly sweetened hot coffee spiked with Irish whiskey and topped with whipped heavy cream is universally appealing. But famed New York Irish bar Dead Rabbit advises taking into consideration pairing the right Irish whiskey and coffee together, which will make a world of difference.
More New Year's ideas
From traditional New Year's dishes to festive appetizers, explore more delicious ways to ring in the New Year.