Life

20 New Year's Eve Drinks To Sip On As The Ball Drops

Sparkly dresses and sequined stockings aside, few things are better than New Year's Eve cocktails. Bathtubs filled with bubbly, counters sprinkled with chardonnay, pitchers fizzing with pinot — no matter how you spend your NYE celebrating, it's going to be a night filled with festive cocktails. It's the last night of the year, time to trade in all our half-completed resolutions for new ones, our lame excuses for more tired ones. It's the last chance to get wasted, kiss a stranger, kiss a friend, drink a few too many glasses of something we know we're going to regret come morning.

If you aren't headed to an overcrowded bar on New Year's Eve (and let's be real, why would you be?), you're either hosting a party at your own digs, or headed to a neighbor's nearby. Ringing in the New Year starts and ends with one thing: booze. You can pass around snacks and goodies all night, but what people really want is fizzing, bubbling, perky drinks — drinks so good they make you see double, drinks so sweet they taste tart, drinks so delightful the ball drops many, many times before it actually drops on the TV screen.

So without further ado, here are the tastiest, fruitiest, dreamiest, and most delicious cocktails to make to ring in the new year.

by Kylie McConville

Cranberry Pear Mulled Wine

It’s technically still the holiday season, and I just love the idea of serving up something simple, traditional, and totally tasty. Couldn’t be Parve’s mulled wine recipe is one for the books, so try it immediately.

Image: Couldn’t be Parve

Citrus Rosemary Vodka Spritzers

When your party-goers ask for something sweet, simple and fun, you give them Jelly Toast’s citrus rosemary vodka spritzers. They’re boozy, but not too much. Sweet, but not too sugary.

Image: Jelly Toast

Berry Sangria

It’s the middle of winter, it’s freezing outside, and chances are it’s going to snow this week. The remedy? Sangria. Ring in 2015 with this berry sangria from Kitchen Confidante. It’s fit-to-burst with fresh fruits, rum, and wine, aka all your favorites.

Image: Kitchen Confidante

Blood Orange and Bourbon

Love and Lemons really blew it out of the park with this one. The freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice is just sweet enough to add flavor, but tart enough so it’s not too sugary.

Image: Love and Lemons

White Peach and Green Tea Bellini

While Bellinis are typically a brunch drink, we couldn’t pass up on this adorable concoction from My Name Is Yeh. I mean, how cute?!

Image: My Name Is Yeh

Honey Sage Gin Fizz

I’d try to sell you on all the ways this drink from How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense is amazing, but there’s really just one detail you need to know: It’s made with bacon.

Image: How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense

Sparking Negronis

Easy, delicious, and picture-perfect. Is there anything else you could ask for from a cocktail? According to The Crepes of Wrath, no — and we agree. Added bonus: You probably already have all the ingredients on hand.

Image: The Crepes of Wrath

Champagne Punch with Raspberry and Orange Liqueur

Nothing says, “New year! Terrible hangover!” quite like a champagne bunch. But if you’re trying to play it semi-safe and beat the day-after blues, this mashup from A Spicy Perspective blends sweet fruits, champagne, and flavored liqueurs together for a dangerously tasty drink. It even has ginger.

Image: A Spicy Perspective

Cherry Whiskey Smash

If your guests aren’t big fans of sweet liqueurs and transparent liquors, How Sweet It Is and ThreadSense have got the cocktail for you. It’s made with Jack, Ginger Brandy, and Amaretto, and then dipped in cherry perfection. Um, yes?

Image: ThreadSense

Strawberry Satsuma Champagne Sangria

Serve this little boozy slice of heaven from How Sweet It Is at your New Year’s fete, or save it for the morning after. The fruit cuts through the bubbly champagne, but here’s fair warning: They’re so good you won’t want to stop drinking.

Image: How Sweet It Is

Grapefruit Shandy

Beer lovers, give your brew du jour a little makeover, courtesy of A Cozy Kitchen, before the big event by adding tons of grapefruits to your favorite wheat beer.

Image: A Cozy Kitchen

Strawberry Gimlets with Homemade Strawberry Vodka

For a DIY treat that’s easy (promise) and delicious, whip up these sugary-sweet Gimlets from Big Girls Small Kitchen. If you’re planning on making the homemade strawberry vodka, give yourself an extra two weeks of prep; you’ll need to let the vodka and the strawberries sit.

Image: Big Girls Small Kitchen

Red Rover Blood Orange and Bourbon Cocktail

Domestic Fits and I would seriously like to thank her husband for dreaming up this tasty cocktail. The acidity of the blood orange cuts through the bourbon, so even your friends who aren’t big drinkers will be back for a second (and third!) glass.

Image: Domestic Fits

Berry Holiday Cocktail

Cupcake Vineyards mixes fresh cranberries, ruby red grapefruit vodka, cranberry juice, black currant juice, and Cupcake Vineyards prosecco to make this ridiculously festive cocktail, perfect for ringing in the new year.

Image: Cupcake Vineyards

The Honeycrisp Cocktail

Want to win for best Instagram candids of the night? This inventive cocktail courtesy of Five and Spice will get you there, especially if you serve them in these retro cups. But aside from being cute, the Honeycrisp is one dangerously delicious cocktail. So, bottoms up!

Image: Five and Spice

Spicy Sweet Infused Vodka Cocktail with a Chili Salt Rim

Want to get a little crazy before 2015 officially kicks off? Food Nasty’s very own spicy and sweet tincture will have you seeing stars long before the ball drops. It’s hot, but you’ll love it.

Image: Food Nasty

Scotch-Champagne Fizz

I love this Food & Style recipe because it cuts through the super tart taste of the champagne by adding a little bit of scotch. You still get your bubbly, just sans the awful morning hangover.

Image: Food & Style

Lime Cordial

Before you reach for that pre-made margarita mix, try this homemade recipe from Joy the Baker on for size. The fresh-squeezed lime will give you that sweet taste, but without all those unnecessary added sugars. Added bonus: There’s even instructions to serve this cocktail three different ways.

Image: Joy the Baker

Grapefruit Gin & Tonic With Cilantro

Yep, now I’ve got your attention! Bet you weren’t expecting to see grapefruit or cilantro hand-in-hand with your staple gin & tonic, were you? This Food & Style speciality is so refreshing, you’ll feel like you’re at the beach rather than huddled inside an overcrowded Brooklyn studio.

Image: Food & Style

The Steadfast

Here’s one to warm you right up. Bourbon and maraschino liqueur combine to make this cozy cocktail by The Crepes of Wrath. A citrus garnish gives this a little extra zest.

Image: The Crepes of Wrath

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