Cocktail Recipes to try out this NEW YEAR’S EVE

Well, the year 2020 was kind of “unprecedented”; with most of us being locked up in our own homes, deprived of social life, the loss of loved ones,  loss of jobs, adapting to the new way of living, controversies, uncertainties, rules and restrictions and obviously the fear of getting infected- more than enough to dampen our spirits.

And as the NEW YEAR’s EVE approaches, guess it is time to pep up, get together with our beloved ones and bid this year a ‘spirited’ farewell.

And what better way than cocktails? Here is a list of cocktail recipes to add that zing as you ring in 2021! (only adults of course).

01 – Brown Sugar Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 1 tsp of packaged brown sugar
• 1 tsp water
• 1 dash of Angosutra bitters
• 2 oz Bourbon Whiskey
• Ice
• Orange Peel for garnish
• Cinnamon for garnish

Directions

Combine sugar, water and bitters together in a glass and stir well till sugar dissolves. Then add the Bourbon and ice and stir. Garnish with orange peel and cinnamon stick.

Servings: 1

Preparation time: 10mins

02 Frozen Dark and Stormy

Ingredients

• 1 can Ginger Beer (8oz)
• Freshly squeezed lime (1 whole lime)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 4 cups of ice
• 4 oz of dark rum

Directions

Combine the ginger beer, fresh ginger, lime juice and ice in a blender and blend. Pour this mixture in 2 glasses and top each glass with 2 oz of rum.

Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 10 mins

03 – Pomegranate French 75

For all the ‘Casablanca’ fans out there, this is the classic French 75 but with a twist.

Ingredients

• 2 oz of gin
• ½ oz of Cointreau
• 1 oz of freshly squeezed lime
• ½ pomegranate molasses (a thick syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice and sugar) or
• 1 oz of pomegranate juice
• 2 oz of sparkling wine/prosecco/cava as per your choice
• Pomegranate seeds and lime twist for garnish

Directions

Combine the gin, Cointreau, lime, pomegranate molasses/juice and ice in a shaker and give it a good shake till chilled. Pour it into a champagne glass and top it off with sparkling wine/prosecco/cava; whatever you like and garnish it with pomegranate seeds and lime twist.

Servings: 1

Preparation time: 10 mins

04 – Blood Orange Moscow Mule

This is variation of the classic Moscow Mule.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz vodka
• Freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lime
• 1 oz of blood orange syrup (you can used freshly squeezed blood orange juice if you like)
• 4 oz of Ginger Beer
• Ginger slices, sliced blood oranges, lime for garnish

Directions

Combine vodka, lime and syrup in a copper mug with ice. If you don’t have copper mugs, you could use tall glass instead. Top it off with Ginger Beer and garnish it with ginger slices, the sliced oranges and lime.

Inn this recipe I have used blood oranges. If you like, you could try this cocktail with watermelon, blueberry, cranberry, jalapenos, if you like it spicy, apple etc… whatever you have handy.

Servings: 2

Preparation time: 5 mins

05 – Mango Margaritas

Ingredients

• 1 cup mango puree (if you can’t find fresh fruit then you could opt for frozen mangoes)
• 3 tbsp agave syrup
• Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
• ½ tsp vanilla extract  
• ½ cup of Tequila
• 2 tbsp of Cointreau
• Ice cubes (3 cups at least)
• Salt and lime zest for glass rims (not to be blended along with other ingredients)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Rim the margarita glasses by dipping them in salt and lime zest. Pour ice into the glasses and then the drink. Garnish it with fresh limes.

Servings: 3

Preparation time: 10 mins

06 – Pornstar Martini

This drink was created by bartender Douglas Ankhra and this one is indeed a star.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz of vanilla flavored Vodka
• ½ oz of passion fruit puree
• ½ oz vanilla syrup
• ½ oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 oz of chilled sparkling wine
• ½ passion fruit for garnish

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in the shaker (except wine) and shake it to life. Once well-chilled strain it into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the passion fruit floating. Serve this accompanied with a shot of wine.

Servings:1

Preparation time: 10 mins

07 – Maple Blackberry Mohito

Ingredients

• 4 Blackberry fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ cup chilled club soda
• ¾ cup ice cubes
• 1 ½ oz light rum
• 1 lime wedge

Directions

Muddle (process of crushing fruits and herbs to draw out the flavors) the blackberries and mint with maple syrup in a glass. Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass. Stir in the club soda and rum. Strain into a chilled glass and add some of the muddled herbs as garnish. Top it off with ice.

Servings: 1

Preparation time: 10 mins

08 – Classic Negroni

Ingredients

• 0.85 oz gin
• 0.85 oz sweet vermouth
• 0.85 oz Campari
• A slice of orange for garnish (preferably blood orange)

Directions

Pour the gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in a jug with ice and stir till the outside of the jug is chilled. Strain into a glass and top it with a sphere of ice or some ice cubes. Garnish with the orange slice floating.

Servings:1

Preparation time: 5 mins

The list could have been longer, but I only chose to feature the ones that I have tried making at home and enjoyed with my friends and family.

And if you liked what I suggested, kindly let me know in the comments. Hope we all have a better and blessed 2021.