It’s about that time of year when you just need to give in and have a good time. To prep you for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, there’s something about a cocktail that hits the right note. Whether you’re thinking mocktails or updating a classic like the Manhattan with Calvados (it’s amazing), these travel-inspired cocktail recipes for New Year’s are for you.
The Daiquiri
The Inspiration: Havana, Cuba
Legend has it that the daiquiri was invented by an engineer in the town of Daiquiri, Cuba back in 1898. We can confirm from recent travels that Cuba still reigns supreme when it comes to making a daiquiri. The ingredients are simple, and the traditional daiquiri is served straight up. This is one of the best cocktail recipes for New Year’s Eve for a number of reasons. If done right, you won’t have a sugar hangover the next day.
Ingredients:
2 oz white rum
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup*
Ice cubes
Lime wheel or twist, for garnish (optional)
Note: Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and heating until the sugar dissolves. Allow it to cool before using.
Directions:
Place a Daiquiri or rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. A chilled glass will keep your Daiquiri nice and cold. Roll a lime on a cutting board to soften it slightly, then cut it in half. Squeeze enough lime juice to yield 3/4 oz of fresh lime juice. You can use a handheld citrus juicer or a reamer.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add the white rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to the shaker. Place the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. This will chill and dilute the drink, as well as create a nice frothy texture. Remove the chilled glass from the freezer and strain the Daiquiri into it. You can use a fine-mesh strainer or a Hawthorne strainer to catch any ice shards.
Garnish (Optional): If you’d like, you can garnish your Daiquiri with a lime wheel or twist for an extra touch of citrus aroma.
Serve Immediately: The original Daiquiri is best enjoyed immediately while it’s cold and fresh. Sip and savor a refreshing balance of sweet and tart with subtle notes of rum.
The Paloma
The Inspiration: A Beach in Mexico
Ingredients:
2 oz (60 ml) tequila (blanco or reposado)
1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
4 oz (120 ml) grapefruit soda (such as Jarritos, Squirt, or Fresca)
Ice
Lime wedge or wheel for garnish (optional)
Salt or Tajín (a chili-lime seasoning) for rimming the glass (optional)
Directions:
This may blow your mind, but you may be making your Paloma all wrong if you’re using a cocktail shaker. The original Paloma is a layered drink, and legend has it the first was properly served at Jimmy’s in Aspen. Yes, we really miss Jimmy’s, so this cocktail recipe for New Year’s is also a toast to Jimmy and the team.
First, rim your glass with salt or Tajín by moistening the rim of a highball glass with a lime wedge. Then, dip the rim into a plate filled with salt or Tajín to coat it. Fill the glass with ice.
In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila and fresh lime juice. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds to chill the mixture. Strain the tequila and lime juice mixture into the prepared glass over the ice. Top off the glass with grapefruit soda. You can adjust the amount to your preference for sweetness and citrus flavor. Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel, if desired. Check out our Paloma tutorial here by Jimmy Yeager himself.
Manhattan with Calvados
The Inspiration: Cafe Carmellini, New York
When we were at Cafe Carmellini at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, we gave our waiter instructions to come back with a cocktail that wasn’t too sweet. He nailed it with the Calvados Manhattan, and it’s now officially one of our favorite cocktails for New Year’s Eve. A Manhattan is traditionally made with whiskey, but you can create a twist on this classic cocktail by subbing in Calvados, an apple brandy from the Normandy region of France. The result is a cocktail that’s not too sweet, and that goes down easy. A little too easy, but alas that’s another story.
Ingredients:
2 oz Calvados (apple brandy)
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry or orange peel for garnish
Ice
Directions:
Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice. Add 2 ounces of Calvados to the mixing glass. Pour in 1 ounce of sweet vermouth and add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to the mixture. Stir the ingredients in the mixing glass with a long spoon until well chilled and properly diluted. Stirring helps to blend the flavors and achieve that perfect balance.
Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. You can use a martini glass or a rocks glass, depending on your preference. Garnish your Calvados Manhattan with a twist of orange peel.
Via Carota Cocktails
The Inspiration: Via Carota in NYC
We are big proponents if you can buy it better, then there’s no need to build it from scratch. Case in point: Via Carota’s pre-made craft cocktails. The Via Carota cocktail recipes for New Year’s are about having the right glassware, and ice, and pouring your drinks right in. The Via Carota cocktails come in sets for negronis, martinis, and bourbon. Essentially you have yourself an automatic party, and luckily they deliver that lemon pappardelle as well.
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