New Year's Eve Cocktails

A classic, hard-hitting refresher with Champagne and gin.

A pretty cocktail made with blood orange and pineapple juice.

The fanciest cocktail goes jiggly - bubbles and all.

A pretty ice ring in your punch bowl adds a festive touch to a holiday gathering. Think about one of the many punch recipes on the site, and how the individual parts of the ice ring will enhance your choice. This ice ring uses lots of red and green, with some bits of gold, thrown in for contrast. This is more of a craft than a dish, so use your imagination! If not using right away, place the frozen ice ring into a plastic bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.

This special Yuletide drink has been enjoyed by natives of the Pennsylvania coal region for over a century! Use raisins or dried currants; use 1/2 gallon of your choice of high-proof whiskey if you prefer.

My grandfather brought this recipe over from Sweden in 1921. We still use it today. God Jul.

This is the real thing, an authentic old-fashioned recipe except you use a slow cooker to simmer it. You will swear you are drinking a cinnamon roll, and then it hits you! Very tasty and a family favorite.

This sweet, delightful hot cinnamon apple brandy cider is spiced with freshly squeezed apple cider, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon!

This is a spicy, sweet holiday wine inspired by my trip to Germany, where a similar drink is a traditional part of winter celebrations.

Glogg is warm served during the Christmas holidays in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, as it is sweet, spicy, and warming. This is the adult version of the drink, so don't serve it to the kids! Garnish drinks with raisins and slivered almonds. Serve warm with gingerbread cookies.

A wonderful change from the everyday orange juice and champagne mimosa!

Mixing warm coffee with tequila and coffee liqueur makes for a perfect 'apres ski.'

Coffee liqueur, coconut rum, Irish cream, vodka and amaretto (whew!) mixed with coconut cream.

This is an excellent base for homemade liquors. Substitute chocolate, coconut, or any flavoring desired for vanilla extract and you will have made a different flavor alcohol. Food coloring can also be added to the cooled mixture to add a bit of pizzazz to your alcohol drinks! Perfect for warming up parties during the winter holidays.

I discovered this gloriously refreshing drink in Berlin on a tour of Eastern European cities. Brings back wonderful memories. Serve in a wine glass. Pretty and tasty!

Coquito is a coconut tasting beverage originating from Puerto Rico, popular during the Christmas season. My grandmother and my mother use to prepare it as I was growing up, and the tradition has stayed with me!

The French 75 cocktail was originally created at the New York Bar in Paris in 1915. The combination of gin, lemon juice, Champagne, and sugar was said to have a kick like a French 75mm field gin. Serve with straws.

A delicious beverage to keep adults warm and festive for the winter holiday months. Serve warm and keep warm in a slow cooker for a party. This recipe serves 4 but can easily be multiplied. Add more spices and/or sugar as desired.

A fruity cocktail that is great on a hot summer's day!

I came up with this while playing around with sangria recipes. It has now become a traditional beverage at Thanksgiving and Christmas; my family actually got upset the one time I didn't make it!

This colorful drink will brighten up any party. Lemon-lime soda can be substituted for the Prosecco for a non-alcoholic version.

Fruity, but not too sweet. I've added more club soda to make it a little lighter. All ingredients can be adjusted to your own personal taste. Keep the punch cool with ice cubes or an ice ring.

This tasty mulled-wine is a German Christmas specialty. It is the signature drink at Christmas markets across Germany and it warms you from the inside out!

Lithuanian spiced honey liqueur. Serve warm as a traditional Eastern European cold remedy - a quick heat-up in the microwave works great.