30 New Years Eve Drinks & Cocktails
Here are the best New Years Eve drinks and cocktails perfect for celebrating! From champagne cocktails to cozy brunch drinks, these are my favorite recipes to toast to the year ahead.
Over the years of hosting gatherings on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, I’ve found the festivities are more fun with a signature drink in hand! I’ve enjoyed everything from a classic champagne cocktail as a New Years Eve drink, or a round of mimosas for cozy New Years cocktail for brunch.
Here’s a list of my top drinks to ring in the new year. I’ve tested each of these cocktails in my own kitchen, and I know you’ll find something you love whether you’re hosting a small dinner party or a crowd counting down to midnight!
New Years Eve Drinks and Cocktails
One of the easiest New Years drinks is the classic Champagne cocktail! Adding a sugar cube to champagne makes a fountain of bubbles that positively sparkles! It takes any party to celebration status with just a few simple ingredients.
The 1980’s cocktail vaulted back into popularity in 2021, and it’s easy to see why. Bittersweet coffee pairs with the rich sweetness of Kahlua to make a sophisticated drink that’s cool, frothy, and bittersweet. Plus, it will keep you going until midnight!
There’s nothing better as a New Years cocktail than a Kir Royale! This famous French cocktail stars black currant liqueur and sparkling wine, and the 2-ingredient combination is simple and effective.
Here’s one of the most sophisticated and refreshing New Years cocktails: a French 75! A combination of gin, lemon and champagne, it's tangy, bubbly, and makes every occasion more festive!
This drink is rich and creamy, basically a dessert in a glass. It stars Irish cream and creme de cacao, and tastes like the liquid version of your favorite chocolate bar. Mix this up as an after dinner drink to impress your guests!
One of my personal favorite New Years Eve drinks is the Negroni Sbagliato, a mixed up version of the classic cocktail using sparkling wine instead of gin! The lightly sweet Prosecco against the bitter Campari and sweet vermouth makes for a better balanced flavor than with gin.
A fun New Years cocktail is the cranberry Aperol spritz! It's sweet tart, fruity, and even tastier than a standard Aperol spritz, With its bright red color, it's a great signature drink for parties or a cozy evening. As a mocktail version, make our Cranberry Orange Mocktail.
Here’s a fun New Years drink: the Pomegranate Gin Fizz! The Gin Fizz is one of my favorite classic cocktails: sweet tart and refreshing, with a festive egg white foam. This pomegranate spin adds a sweet tart flavor and gives the drink a brilliant jewel-toned color!
This festive champagne cocktail is a spin on the classic French 75 that adds St Germain elderflower liqueur, and I think it makes this classic cocktail even better! It’s bubbly and effervescent, with the floral undertones and the zing of fresh lemon juice.
Bubbly wine is ideal for a punch because of its effervescent bubbles. This beautiful bowl is full of flavor, pairing sparkling wine with ginger ale, orange liqueur and fruity pineapple juice. You can make this with any type of sparkling wine: in fact, my preference is Prosecco.
Looking for a signature New Years Eve drink featuring cranberry and orange? Try this Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail! It’s balanced, sweet tart, and complex, fruity with intriguing notes from sweet vermouth.
Here’s an easy New Years Eve cocktail: Chambord and Champagne! Simply mix the raspberry liqueur with bubbles and you’ve got a sophisticated drink perfect for celebrations of all kinds. The bubbly sweet tart flavor is refreshing and unexpectedly nuanced for two ingredients.
Sweet tart pomegranate juice pairs perfectly with tequila and lime, balanced with the orange perfume of Cointreau. You can use either pomegranate juice or fresh-squeezed juice from the fruit. It’s a great New Years Eve cocktail with its brilliant color and festive vibe.
Another fun French 75 variation is the French 76! This classy cocktail is just as sophisticated as its cousin drink, using vodka instead of the traditional gin. It’s got a light, bright flavor and effervescent bubbles.
Here's a sophisticated, boozy New Year's drink: the Oaxaca Old Fashioned! This modern classic cocktail is the union of smoky mezcal, tequila, sweet agave and chocolate bitters. It's a unique drink that everyone will have everyone talking!
Here’s a drink that takes just 2 minutes and hits the spot in any season: the White Russian! This cocktail mixes vodka with coffee liqueur and cream in a decadently creamy, searingly sweet beverage. You can also make fun variations like the Peppermint White Russian or Baileys White Russian.
This fun drink has only four ingredients but is beautifully balanced with smoky, citrus, bitter, and sweet notes. This modern cocktail was created in 2011, but it’s got nods to the past alluding to a historic cocktail that we know and love. It’s crisp, fresh, modern with a retro flair.
I love serving the New York Sour at any occasion, and the beautiful layers are perfect for New Year's Eve! First you have the sweet tart whiskey sour layer. Then floating a layer of red wine over the top adds intrigue, complexity, and a fruity acidity.
Another fun New Years drink is the French Martini, fruity and balanced with a fancy French black raspberry liqueur (Chambord) and pineapple juice. Each sip is intriguing, nuanced, and sophisticated.
The Sidecar is a classic cocktail great for celebrations. It's balanced between sweet and tart, with a boozy edge from the Cognac and a citrus essence from orange liqueur. It’s a complex and layered drink: warm, crisp, dry, rich, and full at the same time.
I love serving this St Germain cocktail at New Years celebrations! It’s sophisticated and refreshing: floral, botanical, tangy, and bubbly all at once. If you’ve never purchased a bottle of this elderflower liqueur, now’s the time,
This sophisticated cocktail is fun for New Year's Eve as a dessert drink. The Brandy Alexander is equal parts creamy, intriguing, and delicious: a mix of Cognac and chocolate liqueur.
Here’s a tasty, sweet tart spin on the vodka martini: the Cranberry Martini! It's refreshing, zingy and balanced, starring Cointreau orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. It's similar to a classic Cosmopolitan!
Let's move on to New Years Day cocktails! There's nothing better than the classic Mimosa. My favorite version of this drink uses Prosecco instead of champagne for a sweeter, nuanced flavor! I also like adding a dash of orange liqueur to make it feel fancy.
The bellini is a classic cocktail from Italy that's perfect for brunch. The combination of bubbly Prosecco and sweet peaches couldn’t be more refreshing! In winter, use a store-bought version of peach puree instead of homemade.
The Vodka Sunrise is a layered brunch cocktail that looks like a gradient of a summer sunrise. The way that orange juice fades into bright pink grenadine is truly magical. All you need are three ingredients for this spin on the classic Tequila Sunrise.
What's better as a New Years drink for brunch than a great Bloody Mary? I've spent a considerable amount of time tweaking this Bloody Mary mix recipe to perfection. Here’s how to make a Bloody Mary that's savory, spicy, tangy, and salty all at once.
The combination of sweet tart pomegranate, orange perfume and airy bubbles is one of the most satisfying brunch cocktails around! You can also serve it as a New Years Eve cocktail and call it a Pomegranate Prosecco Sparkler!
The Red Snapper is a Bloody Mary variation with gin! Switching out the vodka leads to a whole new drink: savory, spicy, tangy, spicy, with a hint of botanical on the finish from the gin. It’s fun to surprise everyone with this unique spin.
Last up in my New Years drinks, the Cranberry Mimosa! Tart cranberry is an ideal pairing for subtly sweet orange juice. Pair the two and the glass is full of bright red color and crisp flavor. It’s bubbly, refreshing, and downright fun.
Pairing Your New Years Drinks with Food
These New Years Eve cocktails are great to serve with my top 20 New Years Eve Recipes.
- I love serving champagne-based cocktails alongside appetizers like shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon appetizer bites, or baked goat cheese.
- For bourbon and whiskey cocktails, try pairing them with cheese boards or antipasto platters.
- Lighter cocktails like the Cranberry Aperol Spritz work wonderfully with veggie trays or fresh salads.
- Brunch cocktails are fun with everything from hashbrown breakfast casserole to fresh fruit and fruit dip.
Tips for Serving
After years of hosting New Years Eve parties, I’ve learned a few tricks that make cocktails even easier:
- Pre-batch when you can: punch bowls are great large gatherings, like Champagne Punch.
- You can set up a self-serve station with simple two-ingredient drinks like or Kir Royales so guests can help themselves.
- Prep your garnishes in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
Making Non-Alcoholic Versions
Many of these New Years cocktails can easily be adapted into mocktails.
- Try my delicious Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail that uses cranberry, orange and ginger ale.
- My Pomegranate Mocktail and Apple Cider Mocktail are popular reader favorites.
- The Non Alcoholic Mimosa and Virgin Bloody Mary are perfect for brunch drinks.
30 New Years Drinks: Champagne Cocktail & More!
Pin Recipe
Print RecipeThe Champagne Cocktail is a classic drink that’s festive and elegant: the perfect for New Years drink! The sugar cube makes it sparkle.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink
- Category: Drink
- Method: Poured
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 sugar cube
- 5 dashes Angostura bitters
- Squeezed lemon peel
- 5 ounces champagne (10 tablespoons)
- For the garnish: Lemon twist
Instructions
- Make the lemon twist garnish, if using.
- Add a sugar cube to bottom of a champagne flute. Add 5 dashes of bitters to the sugar cube. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off a small strip of lemon skin. Squeeze the lemon skin into the flute to release the oils.
- Fill the glass with champagne and serve immediately: watch how the sugar cube makes the bubbles sparkle! Garnish with a lemon twist if desired.
from A Couple Cooks
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Sonja Overhiser
December 11, 2025 at 11:00AM
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