Cue the cocktails for New Year’s Eve celebrations

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New Year’s Eve is just around the corner – so let’s offer up some holiday cheer and a suitable toast to the new year!

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Cocktails are all the rage and many professional and novice mixologists are letting their creative juices flow with different flavours and mixes – the beauty being you can recreate refreshing cocktails into mocktails by just eliminating the alcohol.

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So here’s a selection to get you into the spirited state of mind for the upcoming weekend (always remembering to drink responsibly so you start your shiny new year off on the right foot!).

The Spritz

This classic cocktail uses a new “rosso-amaro” (bitter) aperitivo soda named BIBI, made with citrus peel, herbs and other botanical extracts that pays homage to the famous traditional Italian bitter – only it’s made right here in Ontario with nearly 50% less sugar. Courtesy brandfusion.ca

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Add ice to a wine glass. Pour in 3 oz. of Prosecco or a semi-dry sparkling white wine and top with 4 oz. of bitter. Garnish with a slice of blood orange and a sprig of mint.

Non-alcoholic version: Switch up the wine with a non-alcoholic sparkling water or juice. Garnish as usual.

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Negroni Gold Christmas Edition

It wouldn’t be the holidays without a sparkling ode to Negroni with this special Christmas Edition courtesy Bottega Gold Prosecco (known as the Venetian gold of Proseccos). bottegaspa.com/en.

30 ml sweet red vermouth

30 ml bitters

30 ml favourite Prosecco wine

1 large ice cube

Lemon peel

Few drops of favourite grappa

Cinnamon stick, garnish

Pour vermouth and bitters into a glass and mix well. Cool an Old-Fashioned glass with ice cube. Add Prosecco (or other sparkling wine). Garnish with a lemon peel and few drops of grappa. Garnish with cinnamon stick for a holiday twist.

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A Toast to Warmer Weather

Inject a little tropical sun into your festive fun this year with these flavourful, punchy cocktails that are  quintessentially Caribbean.

Goombay Smash

With its strong fruity flavour, this rum-based cocktail with a historic pedigree in The Bahamas,  was originally formulated by a woman named Emily Cooper on Green Turtle Cay.  

11 oz. EACH dark rum, light rum, coconut rum and apricot brandy

1 46 oz. can pineapple juice

Maraschino cherry, pineapple slices, garnish

Mix in a container and shake vigorously before serving over ice. Garnish and serve.

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Hibiscus Sangria

This famous cocktail is reflective of the indulgences offered in the dual-island  destinations of Antigua and Barbuda. The recipe calls for tangy sorrel juice, an intensely aromatic brew that is derived from the plant of the same name, and is a close relative of Hibiscus. If you can’t find at your local supermarket, you can purchase sorrel leaves and steep to make 1 cup of juice. Photo courtesy of The Antigua & Bahamas Tourism Authority.

1 bottle red wine

1 cup sorrel juice

1/2 cup fresh hibiscus tea, cooled

1/2 cup brandy or rum

Assorted fresh fruits (slices of pineapples, oranges, limes, grapes)

Cinnamon sticks, garnish

To brew your own hibiscus tea: place several (2-3 fresh or 1/4 cup of dried flower) petals in a teapot and cover it  with boiling water; allow to steep for about 5 minutes. Strain and bring to room temperature (preferably the tea should  be chilled). Combine red wine, sorrel juice, and hibiscus tea with brandy or rum. Add sliced fruits of your choice to  mixture. Using a ladle, serve beverage in a glass of your choice. Ensure you include a mixture of fruit for a festive  holiday beverage.

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Hello Emily from Paris!

And just like that, Netflix’s famous Emily in Paris is back, with more scintillating adventures of this American in Paris story. To help celebrate, the drink experts at The Bottle Club (thebottleclub.com) created some lively cocktails as an ode to Paris and the holiday party season.

Between The Sheets

Perfect for a night on the town, or an intimate get-together at home for New Year’s Eve, this special cocktail is made up of equal parts cognac, rum, and Cointreau with a hint of lemon juice.

30 ml brandy (cognac)

30 ml light rum

30 ml Cointreau (or favourite orange liqueur)

15 ml lemon juice

Lemon or orange twist to garnish

Place ingredients in a shaker full of ice and shake, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

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Boulevardier

Sometimes described as “Negroni’s long-lost autumnal cousin,” Boulevardier is considered the signature drink of writer Erskine Gwynne, who edited the Boulevardier, a famous Parisian magazine.

30 ml bourbon or rye whiskey

30 ml Campari

30 ml sweet vermouth

1 Orange zest coin for garnish (optional)

1 Bordeaux cherry for garnish (optional)

Place ingredients in a shaker full of ice and shake, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Cocktail is often garnished with a twist of orange peel or a cherry.

Mimosa

A favourite brunch staple, mimosa is by far the easiest cocktail to create. Traditionally made with fresh orange juice, you can also make it with mango juice and chunks of fresh mango. Grand Marnier or bitters can also be added for an enhanced flavour addition.  

750 ml bottle of favourite Champagne (Moët & Chandon Imperial suggested) or sparkling wine

750 ml fresh squeezed orange juice (or mango juice)

Orange slices for garnishing

Fill half your glass with champagne or sparkling wine before filling rest with orange juice or mango juice. Garnish with favourite fruit slices.