Five Sparkling New Year's Eve Cocktails
WORDS:: Chyka Keebaugh
PHOTOS:: Lisa Atkinson
Every New Year's Eve should be celebrated with Champagne. Or Sparkling. Or both! Celebrate the festive night with one of these delicious cocktails.
I love a gorgeous glass of sparkling, and New Year's Eve is the perfect night for it. Fun, flirty and always looking great, Sparkling is being served in just about any vessel these days, and if you have a beautiful bottle as the base of your cocktails then you are set to go! On arrival to any party I like to offer (and be offered!) a special drink, and I think for New Year's Eve you should absolutely offer your guests a special first drink to set up a fantastic night ahead. So, let's gather some Sparkling and whip them up into some fun New Year's Eve cocktails.
.01
Grapefruit Mimosa
Ingredients
Pink sanding sugar, for rims
1/2 c. grapefruit juice
1 bottle Champagne
Method
In a small bowl, add pink sanding sugar. Dip Champagne flutes in water to wet the rim, then dip in sanding sugar.
Add grapefruit juice and top off with Champagne.
.02
Sparkling Julep
Ingredients
1 sugar cube
¾ c. Sparkling wine
1 sprig fresh mint
Method
Place the sugar cube in a flute.
Top with 3/4 cup Sparkling wine and garnish with a sprig of mint.
.03
Orange Sparkler
Ingredients
1 tbsp. Cointreau, Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
¾ c. Sparkling wine (such as Prosecco)
1 orange twist
Method
Pour the orange liqueur into a flute.
Top with the wine and garnish with the twist.
.04
Tangerine Sorbet Champagne Floats
Ingredients
2½ cups (600 ml) fresh tangerine juice
½ cup (125 ml) Sparkling wine
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Additional sparkling wine, for serving
Instructions
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of the tangerine juice and the sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Place the mixture in a bowl and add the remaining tangerine juice and sparkling wine. Chill completely in the fridge.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Sorbet will be soft. Place the sorbet in the freezer for several hours to firm up.
To serve, scoop the sorbet into wine glasses or Champagne flutes. Pour Sparkling wine over the sorbet. Serve immediately.
Note: For the time poor, you can always skip the DIY sorbet step and simply use some store bought sorbet.
.05
Sparkling Fairy Floss
Ingredients
Fairy floss
Bottle of Champagne/Sparkling
Method
Add a generous amount of fairy floss to your glass
Carefully pour over the Champagne/Sparkling. Stir if desired.
Garnish with fairy floss then drink up!