Popping a bottle of bubbly to toast the arrival of a new year is tradition in many parts of the world. Even those who don't usually drink sparkling wine have been known to clink glasses at midnight.
The bubbles, like the lights, the noisemakers and streamers or confetti add to the festive, celebratory feel of the night.
Good things happen when there's a bottle of sparkling wine around. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, launch parties, promotions and new beginnings are commemorated with the elegantly fizzy drink.
As if each bursting bubble is a gleeful "we made it!"
According to an article in Imbibe magazine, the practice of drinking bubbly on New Year's Eve in America dates to the turn of the 20th century, with the New York City establishment The Cafe Martin (among others) serving "champagne only" after 9 p.m.
A tall flute or low coupe of Champagne is the most straightforward approach, and is the only way to go if you're popping open a luxury bottle. But for the rest of us, where budgets must be kept in check sparkling wine cocktails are a cost-efficient way to indulge.
There are many reasons to include sparkling wine cocktails in your celebration. They're tasty. They're elegant. They're festive. They can stretch a bottle or three to last the whole night.
And did we mention they're tasty?
The following sparkling wine cocktails range from simply embellished drinks that stay true to the character of bubbly to bold cocktails that taste more of spirits than Champagne.
We used a combination of domestic sparkling wine, prosecco, cava and Argentinean sparkling wines, none costing more than $15 a bottle for our drinks.
Regardless of which kind of bubbly you choose, be sure to have it well-chilled before opening and mixing.
Several of these drinks call for St. Germain. The elderflower liqueur works well in a variety of cocktails, but it pairs especially well with dry sparkling wine.
This drink technically isn't a cocktail, as there's no hard liquor in it. But the classic combination offers beer fans something festive.
Black Velvet
4 ounces dry sparkling wine, chilled
4 ounces Guinness stout, chilled
Fill a tall glass half full with sparkling wine. Slowly and carefully add Guinness. If you want distinct layers, try pouring the Guinness slowly over the back of a spoon held against the glass.
Makes 1 drink.
The same argument could apply to this drink as the spirits -- in the form of pure vanilla extract -- are minuscule, but the vanilla and brown sugar make this sparkling wine elixir irresistible.
Brut-ally Smooth Champagne Cocktail
1 brown sugar cube (see note)
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract
5 ounces chilled brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
Lemon twist, optional
Place sugar cube in a champagne flute. Pour vanilla over sugar cube and gently press with a spoon to break up slightly. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist, if desired.
Makes 1 drink.
Note: Look for brown sugar cubes at specialty stores. If you can't find them, it's easy to make your own. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and about 1 teaspoon water in a bowl; stir to moisten sugar. Using a teaspoon or scoop, mound moistened sugar onto parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Let sit at room temperature until dry, about 12 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
The St. Germain Cocktail is one of our favorites. Don't be fooled by its simplicity.
St. Germain Cocktail Ice
2 ounces dry sparkling wine
1 1/2 ounces St. Germain
Club soda
Lemon or orange twist, for garnish
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the sparkling wine, followed by the St. Germain and then the club soda. Stir gently. Garnish with a twist of lemon or orange.
Makes 1 drink.
The French 75, named after a cannon, is most famously made with gin. But variations exist calling for cognac and brandy.
French 75
1 1/2 ounces gin, cognac or brandy
1 teaspoon simple syrup (or more to taste)
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
2 ounces chilled dry Champagne or sparkling wine
Lemon twist, optional garnish
Combine the gin, cognac or brandy, simple syrup and lemon juice in shaker; add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into champagne flute rimmed with sugar. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon twist.
Makes 1 drink.
Lime juice, orange curacao and rum give this sparkling cocktail a tropical twist.
Silver Daisy
1 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
1/2 ounce orange curacao or other orange liqueur
1 1/2 ounces gold (lightly aged) rum
2 dashes bitters such as Angostura
2 ounces chilled sparkling wine
Orange twist, optional
Combine simple syrup, lime juice, curacao, rum and Angostura in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange twist, if desired.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
This drink is boozy, fruity and bubbly.
Barbotage
1/2 ounce cognac or brandy
1 teaspoon orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Gran Gala
4 ounces chilled sparkling wine
Pour cognac and Grand Marnier into a champagne flute, top with sparkling wine.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe adapted from Esquire
Sbagliato is Italian for mistaken or messed up. And according to bar lore, this drink was created when a bartender mistakenly grabbed a bottle of bubbly instead of gin when making a negroni. The result was a fizzy, flavorful twist on the classic cocktail.
Negroni Sbagliato
1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
1 1/2 ounces Campari, Cappelletti or Aperol
4 ounces chilled prosecco
Orange, for garnish
Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice. Add vermouth and Campari and stir. Top with prosecco and stir again. Garnish with an orange slice.
Makes 1 drink.
If you prefer more booze and less sparkle, the Nomayo has just a "float" of sparkling wine. To float the sparkling wine, use the back of a spoon to pour it slowly down the side of the glass so that it floats on the surface.
Nomayo
1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka
3/4 ounce St. Germain
1/2 ounce Aperol, Cappelletti or Campari
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce dry sparkling wine
Orange twist, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, St. Germain, Aperol and lemon juice; add ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe and top with a float sparkling wine. Garnish with orange twist.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe adapted from St. Germain
Bourbon drinkers will find this drink intriguing.
The Devereaux
1 ounce bourbon, Bulleit recommended
1/2 ounce St. Germain
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3 ounces chilled sparkling wine
Mint leaf, for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add bourbon, St. Germain, lemon juice and simple syrup. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with mint leaf.
Recipe from Serious Eats
The flavor of this cocktail changes over time. The longer the sparkling wine stays in contact with the ginger, the stronger the ginger flavor is. The recipe requires a little prep work, but we think it's worth it.
Caramellow Royal
1 ginger chip (recipe follows)
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla liqueur or Licor 43
Chilled dry sparkling wine
Place ginger chip in a champagne flute. Pour the vanilla liquor over the ginger chip. Carefully fill with sparkling wine.
Makes 1 drink.
Recipe adapted from Cocktails: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks by Klaus St. Rainer
You'll need a large ginger root to make these chips, as you want the finished pieces to be long enough to almost fill a champagne flute.
Ginger Chips
1 large ginger root, or rhizome (about 4 inches)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, carefully slice the ginger lengthwise. Arrange slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar on both sides and leave to "steep" for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until chips are crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly before using.
Uncorked columnist Lorri Hambuchen shares this recipe, which combines maraschino cherries, Danish cherry liqueur and Champagne.
Marasca Fizz
3 maraschino cherries, plus 3/4 ounce syrup from the jar
Superfine sugar
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 brown sugar cubes
1/2 ounce Heering cherry liqueur
4 ounces chilled Champagne
Moisten the outer rim of a flute with 1/2 ounce maraschino cherry syrup and coat with superfine sugar. Sprinkle the bitters over the sugar cubes. Add the Cherry Heering, maraschino cherries and the remaining 1/4 ounce of maraschino cherry syrup to the flute. Top with the Champagne and add the sugar cubes.
Recipe from Food and Wine via Lorri Hambuchen
Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan, stirring until well moistened. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 1 month.
Makes about 2 cups.
Food on 12/27/2017