28 New Year's Eve Drinks That Are Worth Staying Up For
28 New Year's Eve Drinks That Are Worth Staying Up For
As they say, where you are on New Year's Eve can often set the tone for where you find yourself in the next year. So why not find yourself with one of these amazing New Year's Eve cocktails in hand? Whether you're a champagne, tequila, or vodka fan, we've got a drink for you. Our recipes for Moscow mule punch, cranberry orange whiskey sours, and confetti champagne are well worth staying up for!
Speaking of staying up, we often need a bit of help rallying until the ball drops at midnight. We love adding a bit of coffee to our favorite cocktails, and let's just say it'll 100% put the "buzz" in buzzed. Our Irish coffee recipe does double duty as an ideal nightcap and a winter hand warmer, while our Dalgona martini and espresso martini recipes are the perfect year-end indulgence.
New Year's is also the best time to break out the bubbly. Serving up champagne is classic for a reason (check out all of our champagne cocktails that go beyond just drinking it straight up). But Cava and Prosecco are also amazing sparkling wines you can feel free to swap in as you would with champagne. All three sparklers make excellent mixed drink; we're especially fond of our Prosecco mint juleps!
Need some food to go with all that booze? Yes, you do. Make some of these New Year's Eve party foods, appetizers, and foods for good luck (certainly can't hurt!). And if you're on the other end of the party, check out our favorite New Year's Day brunch recipes to start the new year on the right foot! Of course, not every drink has to be boozy. Check out our amazing mocktails, too.
Pomegranate Martini
More like a cosmopolitan than a classic martini, this recipe replaces the cosmo’s traditional cranberry juice with pomegranate. Garnish with a sugar rim and a fresh rosemary sprig for the perfect drink to serve at all your holiday gatherings.
Get the Pomegranate Martini recipe.
Confetti Champagne
Looking for a festive cocktail to celebrate with? Look no further! Confetti champagne is about as exciting as a cocktail can be, thanks to its sparkly Pop Rocks rim.
Get the Confetti Champagne recipe.
Espresso Martini
This buzzy '90s throwback has surged in popularity the last few years, and we are all the happier (and more caffeinated) for it. We love it as a pre-game drink to keep us going all through the night.
Get the Espresso Martini recipe.
Prosecco Mint Julep
This festive sparkling drink is perfect for a lowkey holiday cocktail hour. A sort of lightened-up mint julep, the addition of a dry sparkling wine provides a pleasant brightness and effervescence that plays well with the rich, caramelized tones of bourbon whiskey.
Get the Prosecco Mint Julep recipe.
Ginger-Cranberry Whiskey Sour
This wintery version of a whiskey sour features punchy ginger flavor and tangy cranberry juice. Though it requires minimal ingredients, it’s full of strong, bright flavors that perfectly complement rich holiday hors d'oeuvres like baked brie and bacon-wrapped dates.
Get the Ginger-Cranberry Whiskey Sour recipe.
Peppermintinis
To make these peppermint-bark-inspired drinks, you'll combine white chocolate liqueur, vodka, peppermint schnapps, and heavy cream in a cocktail shaker with ice, before serving these shaken—not stirred—martinis with a homemade chocolate and peppermint rim. We're feeling festive already!
Get the Peppermintinis recipe.
Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour
We crave cranberry cocktails all season long, and this is our go-to cocktail this holiday season. It's warm and spicy from the whiskey and ginger beer, but refreshing and tart from the cranberry and citrus.
Get the Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour recipe.
Christmas Punch
There’s no better way to liven up a holiday party than with a big pitcher of punch, and we love this punch any day of the year (especially NYE). This Christmas punch forgoes all the added sugar found in many punch recipes, and instead derives its natural sweetness from apple cider. Add some spice from ginger beer and tartness from unsweetened cranberry juice, and you have a sophisticated, festive punch for your next party.
Get the Christmas Punch recipe.
Brandy Alexander
This retro dessert cocktail deserves a spot at your next dinner party. Making a Brandy Alexander couldn’t be easier, either: Just add equal parts of brandy, dark crème de cacao, and heavy cream for a sophisticated and luxurious post-dinner cocktail. Think of it as a boozy, ultra-fancy chocolate milkshake!
Get the Brandy Alexander recipe.
Lemon-Poppy Seed Drop
Combining our love of sweet-tart Lemon Drop Martinis and spring-y Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, this cheery cocktail is the perfect balance of citrus and nutty poppy seed flavor. Looking to further flavor your cocktail? Infusing your simple syrup is always a great option—we think a lavender, rosewater, or citrus peel version would go well with this cocktail. Any leftovers are great in cold brew or iced tea!
Get the Lemon-Poppy Seed Drop recipe.
Tiramisu White Russians
Somewhere between cocktail and dessert, this Italian-influenced White Russian is hard to resist. Looking for a festive upgrade? A dash of orange bitters, a pinch of ground cinnamon, or some fresh nutmeg shavings add another dimension to this decadent drink.
Get the Tiramisu White Russians recipe.
French 75
The French 75 is among the fanciest of cocktails. Sure, there’s the tried-and-true margarita and the timeless Old-Fashioned, but the French 75 has got what those two don’t: Champagne! Champagne is what makes this drink distinctively French (and totally worth the splurge), but a more affordable sparkling wine such as Prosecco or Cava are both sound options. Make sure to squeeze the lemon twist into your drink to add some of those floral lemon oils.
Get the French 75 recipe.
Drunk Jack Frosties
This blended vodka. sparkling wine, Blue Cura?ao, and lemonade cocktail will definitely perk up your winter, though it's delicious all year round as far as we're concerned. Want more slushies? Check out all of our top frozen drinks.
Get the Jack Frosties recipe.
Peppermint White Russian
Everyone’s favorite boozy coffee drink just got a holiday makeover. With a simple combo of Kahlúa, vodka, and heavy cream, the White Russian is already the king of creamy after-dinner cocktails, but adding a splash of peppermint schnapps makes it perfect for a seasonal celebration. Finish with a pinch of salt and a few peppermint candies, and meet your new favorite nightcap.
Get the Peppermint White Russian recipe.
Negroni
Something about the bittersweet, botanical flavors of the Negroni make us think of all our favorite winter flavors. This classic Italian cocktail amps up the notes of juniper in gin with sweet vermouth and herbaceous Campari. The best part? No crazy ratios to memorize. Just stir equal parts of all three and that’s it!
Get the Negroni recipe.
Champagne Margaritas
This margarita gets a festive boost with the addition of your favorite bubbly.
Get the Champagne Margaritas recipe.
Nutty Irishman
The sweetness and subtle nuttiness of the hazelnut liqueur Frangelico is the perfect partner to rich Irish cream. The almost inevitable whipped cream mustache that follows is highly worth it.
Get the Nutty Irishman recipe.
Giggle Juice
WTF is Giggle Juice, you ask? A combo of moscato, lemonade, and vodka that will have all your friends laughing.
Get the Giggle Juice recipe.
Dalgona Martini
Dalgona or whipped coffee is now the coolest thing to top all of your drinks with, including this simple Baileys martini, for an instant pick-me-up. Want to whip more drinks? We rounded up all of the best whipped drinks!
Get the Dalgona Martini.
Cranberry Margaritas
Who says you can't enjoy a frosty marg all year round? We gave the classic summer drink some seasonal flair in this recipe with the addition of sweet cranberry flavor and a festive garnish. The perfect winter cocktail, we love to serve this blended bev at holiday parties, or even for a treat after surviving the mayhem of the holidays.
Get the Cranberry Margaritas recipe.
Peppermint Bark Mimosas
These mimosas are just the thing to get you in the holiday spirit (and use up that giant bottle of peppermint schnapps!).
Get the Peppermint Bark Mimosa recipe.
Irish Mule
We love how the oaky, vanilla-y flavors that come from your favorite whiskey are so well complemented by the fresh ginger and lime in a classic Moscow Mule. It’s the perfect slight twist on the classic that will surprise your guests and have them singing your praises (or maybe writing a limerick about you).
Get the Irish Mule recipe.
Amaretto Sour
For cocktail lovers who like a whiskey sour but want something a bit nuttier, this is the perfect drink. Amaretto Sour is also the ideal cocktail for anyone who loves tiramisu, since the classic Italian dessert often includes amaretto.
Get the Amaretto Sour recipe.
North Pole-adas
Even in the dead of winter we still like to pretend we are on a beach sipping on Pi?a Colada. Since we can't actually do that most of time, this winterized version does the trick. With Prosecco, pineapple, and coconut milk, it's a cocktail that's festive and tropical all at the same time!
Get the North Pole-adas recipe.
Crock-Pot Red Wine Hot Cocoa
Red wine and hot chocolate might sound like a strange combo, but trust us, it works. This is going to be the best thing to come out of your slow cooker all winter.
Get the Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa recipe.
Irish Coffee
Coffee cocktails are the ideal double-hit of caffeine and booze straight to the system, perfect for the start or end of the night. Irish coffee is one the most classic coffee mixed drinks that just requires a combination of sweetened coffee, Irish whiskey, and (of course) whipped cream. It's cozy, delicious, and incredibly easy to make.
Get the Irish Coffee recipe.
Snowflake Martini
White chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, and a splash of heavy cream come together to create this simple winter cocktail. It's great for dessert when the weather outside is frightful!
Get the Snowflake Martini recipe.
Moscow Mule Punch
Yep—this is basically one giant Moscow Mule. Which means that you don't have to play bartender all night. Mint isn't technically classic in the OG cocktail, but it's a nice, fresh touch in this punch.
Get the Moscow Mule Punch recipe.
Three, two, one, it's time to crack open the bubbly! These fabulous drinks and cocktail recipes will make your 2023 New Year's Eve party a delicious success.