Tonight is Lunar New Year, and with the imminent arrival of the Year of the Snake, people are getting ready to celebrate across the globe. If you’re hosting friends or family but you haven’t planned out your drinks yet then no need to worry — we’ve got suggestions for celebratory cocktails that are on theme for the new year.
These drinks use celebratory ingredients like Champagne and whisky, with bright and bold flavors for a bright new year like lychee, peach tea, cherry, honey, and grapefruit. There are also some simple options here so even if you don’t have time to shake up complex cocktails, you can still have something special ready for this evening.
The Firecracker
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
- 1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- ½ oz Martini Riserva
- ½ oz Simple Syrup
- 1 dash of Orange Bitters
Method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled and fine strain in a Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Sapphire Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru
- 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.75 oz Simple Syrup
- 2 oz Champagne
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Method:
Add the Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker. Shake, strain, and top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
Golden Prosperity
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch whisky
- 1 bar spoon of local honey
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Method:
Add the honey syrup, bitters and Aberfeldy 12 Years Old to a mixing glass, add ice and stir to dilute. Pour into a rocks glass. Add some cubed ice. Cut and twist an orange zest expressing the oils over the drink and discard.
Serpent’s Charm
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Dewar’s 12 Year Scotch Whisky
- 0.75 oz Martini & Rossi Rubino
- 0.75 oz Martini & Rossi Bitter
- 1 oz cherry juice
- 2 dashes chocolate bitters
Method:
Add all ingredients to mixing glass and stir with ice until chilled. Add melted chocolate to base of glass and add cherry and mint as garnish.
Lunar Roast Fizz
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Arabica Coffee Cask Rum
- 0.5 oz Cold Brew
- 0.25 oz Orgeat
- Top with Soda Water
Method:
Build in Collins glass with ice, then gently stir until combined. Garnish with an orange twist.
Peach Blossom Bliss
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz BACARDÍ Spiced
- 1 1/2 oz lemonade
- 1 1/2 oz peach tea
- 1 Lemon wedge
- 1 mint sprig
Method:
Fill a highball glass with cubed ice. Pour in the BACARDÍ Spiced Rum, followed by the lemonade and peach tea. Give it all a gentle stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge and mint sprig.
Celestial Citrus
Ingredients:
- 1 oz ST‑GERMAIN
- 1 1/2 oz PATRÓN Silver tequila
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Method:
Combine the St‑Germain, tequila and fresh lime juice into a shaker. Add ice into the shaker and shake vigorously until it is nicely chilled. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
The Lucky Lychee
Ingredients:
- 2 oz D’USSÉ XO Cognac
- 1 Lychee
- 1 Fresh Strawberry
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
- 2 Dashes Rhubarb Bitters
- Top Ace of Spades Champagne
Method:
Muddle lychee, strawberry and simple syrup in a shaker. Add D’USSÉ, rhubarb bitters and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Top with champagne.
