Our Favorite Drinks to Ring In the New Year

How We Holiday

Cooking & Entertaining

Dana Eisenberg

Holidays

Cocktail

New Year&rsquo;s Eve is a special night. It&rsquo;s time to reflect on the year gone by and think about your hopes, dreams, and plans for the one ahead. It can also be a night to throw (or attend) a great party where good food and bold drinks are definitely in order. While you should definitely stock your bar with beer, wine, champagne, and spirits, we also recommend making a specialty cocktail or two. It&rsquo;s fun, impressive, and adds a little something. Here&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s on our list this year.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/fizzy-blood-orange-martinis-recipe">Fizzy Blood Orange Martinis Recipe</a>

Blood oranges are definitely delicious, but we also love them because they&rsquo;re so pretty and abundant in winter. In this recipe, you&rsquo;ll be using them to infuse your own syrup, which sounds much more complicated than it actually is. What you&rsquo;ll end up with is a cocktail that&rsquo;s vibrant, refreshing, and celebratory, which is pretty much all you can ask for.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/pomegranate-orange-gin-fizz-recipe">Pomegranate Orange Gin Fizz Recipe</a>

With orange and cranberry flavors, this cocktail is perfect for celebratory occasions. It&rsquo;s also ideal if you haven&rsquo;t holidayed enough yet and want more festive stuff in your life. It&rsquo;s really easy to make, the ingredients are easy to find, and it looks fancy. If you&rsquo;re not a gin person, sub in vodka, which works just as well.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/pisco-sour-cocktail-recipe">Pisco Sour Cocktail Recipe</a>

If you&rsquo;ve traveled to Peru or Chile, you&rsquo;ve definitely come across a pisco sour. We love it because it&rsquo;s, well, sour, refreshing, and can be premade and served in a pitcher. We love a batched cocktail for a party that guests can pour themselves. If you can&rsquo;t find pisco, use grappa instead!

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/pear-and-elderflower-champagne-punch">Pear and Elderflower Champagne Punch Recipe</a>

Pop, fizz, clink! It wouldn&rsquo;t be New Year&rsquo;s Eve if there wasn&rsquo;t champagne. We love this punch because it&rsquo;s not too sweet, uses seasonal fruit, and is so pretty to look at! The pear nectar ice cubes make it next-level.

Pro tip: keep the champagne chilled until you&rsquo;re ready to use it and add it to your punch before drinking. That way, it won&rsquo;t go flat.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/cran-raspberry-cosmopolitan-recipe">Cran-Raspberry Cosmopolitan Recipe</a>

A cosmopolitan is a classic. A cran-raspberry cosmopolitan is slightly less classic but may be even more delicious. This one is really easy to make and lots of fun.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/perfect-non-alcoholic-punch-recipe">Perfect Non-Alcoholic Punch Recipe</a>

You should know that this is not an obligatory non-alcoholic drink recipe. It&rsquo;s just a really great recipe for punch that we like to make for parties. As a bonus, it&rsquo;s non-alcoholic so kids, non-drinkers, and those looking to take a break can all enjoy it. For those who don&rsquo;t need a break, just add a splash of rum, vodka, gin, or bourbon.

Cheers to a wonderful new year!

Dished

dished

grapefruit and thyme salty dog spritz

ingredients

<h4>thyme simple syrup:</h4>¼ cup sugar¼ cup water8 sprigs thyme <h4>cocktail:</h4>1 tablespoon coarse salt, for glass rims¾ cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, from 1 grapefruit½ cup vodka or gin, or, for a mocktail, extra grapefruit juice or sparkling water1 ounce thyme simple syrup, recipe above4 oz. sparkling water, dividedFresh thyme and grapefruit wedges, for serving

instructions

The Best Drinkware to Ring in the New Year

Holly Stephens

It’s always fun to close out the year and ring in the new one with a party! If you’re hosting, you’re probably going to make a few specialty cocktails. This is a great opportunity to pick up some snazzy drinkware to match. We love these pieces for New Year’s Eve, but most of them are great for celebrations all year long as well.

Sparkle and Shine

New Year’s Eve is all about the sparkle. Confetti, streamers, glitter—you know the drill. Load up on flutes, shakers, and stems with silver, gold, and metallic finishing touches to make your celebration ultraglam. Laser and crystal-cut glasses are also a stylish choice. They not only enhance the look of your average, run-of-the-mill stemware, but also reflect light to stunning effect.

Fun and Festive

Get playful with witty drinkware that speaks to the occasion. Glasses embellished with short phrases and timely decals are all fair game, so long as the color scheme (think black, silver, and gold) and font remain tasteful. We adhere to the timeless trend of handing out date-themed champagne flutes for guests to raise at midnight.

Timeless and Versatile

You can’t go wrong with a classic stemware set. Squeaky-clean glasses with flared pedestals make for an elegant New Year’s toast and can also be reused for other upcoming holidays. To add a bit of panache to a versatile collection (and help guests keep track of their glasses!), wrap each stem in a personalized wine charm.

Casual, But Classy

It doesn’t have to be fancy to be a good time! We love unbreakable (but reusable!) drinkware for something light and fun. Whether you’re worried about tipsy guests dropping glasses or are going to have young kids around, these are great options. Bonus: when summer (finally) comes around, you can use these outside.

Summer

Recipe Roundup: Summer Cocktails

If we could pick one place to be for the rest of… well, ever, it would be sitting outside on a warm night, watching the sunset, sipping on a refreshing drink. Good news: Summer is here, and those nights are going to come around more often.

While we love an Aperol Spritz as much as the next patio partygoer, sometimes we want to switch it up. Here’s a list of our favorite summer cocktail recipes to sip all summer long. (Warning: You may find it hard to go slow with these delicious, cooling drinks, but we beg you to pace yourself!)

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/rosemary-lemonade-cocktail-recipe">Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail</a>

We love this recipe with vodka as much as we love it without. It’s refreshing, zesty, and has just the right amount of sweetness. It’s also perfect for families, because everyone can share the same pitcher of rosemary lemonade. All you have to do for the alcoholic version is add sparkling water and vodka!

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/hibiscus-tequila-cooler-recipe">Hibiscus Tequila Cooler </a>

If you’ve never thought about adding tequila to your hibiscus tea (tea-quila, anyone? We’ll see ourselves out), allow us to officially be the ones to put the idea in your head. Now that it’s there, try this perfect lime-y, ginger-y, hibiscus-y, tequila-y drink to make the next time you have company (or don’t have company).

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/frosty-mango-lime-margaritas-recipe">Frosty Mango-Lime Margaritas</a> 

Some nights call for a little something special, and a frozen drink always hits the spot if you’re willing to make the extra effort. For a summery twist on a classic margarita, we love this mango version. To make things a bit easier when party time arrives, cut and freeze your mango chunks in advance.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/watermelon-lime-ginger-granita-recipe">Watermelon Lime and Ginger Granita</a> 

If you’re wondering what a granita (traditionally served as dessert) is doing on this list, wonder no more. This is a great dessert or afternoon snack on a hot day, but add some watermelon vodka, and you’ve got yourself a party.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/mojito-iced-tea-recipe">Mojito Iced Tea</a>

This recipe is great and puts a unique spin on iced tea. It comes together with ingredients that are easy to find (tea, sugar, mint leaves, lime juice, and lime zest) and makes the ideal refreshing, non-alcoholic drink to serve at your next gathering.

<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/rose-sangria-recipe">Rosé Sangria</a> 

You didn’t think we were going to get through this whole list without putting a rosé drink on it, did you? Rosé = good. Sangria = good. Therefore, by the scientific law of cocktailing, rosé sangria = really, really good.

Drinks

Starter Pack: Stock Your First Home Bar

Shaker

Sure, you can just mix your ingredients together and call it a cocktail. But your drinks will taste exponentially better if you use a shaker. It allows you to mix the ingredients together thoroughly and to make a cold drink without watering it down too much. You can’t really make a martini without one of these, and pretty much every cocktail recipe you look up is going to recommend you use one.

Strainer

Partner of the shaker, the strainer is how you’re going to get the drink from one vehicle to the other. Use it to strain liquids into a drinking glass without letting ice spill out.

Muddler

We’re going to tell you how to be the most popular home bartender in town: Get yourself a muddler. Use it to mash fruit and herbs to level up your drinks and give them fresh flavors.

Shot Glasses

Shot glasses may bring back some bad, good, or just plain fuzzy memories from college, but they’re a useful part of your adult bar situation as well. Use them to measure alcohol for drinks. Or, you know, use them for shots.

Bottle Opener

Have you ever been to a party, realized there was no bottle opener, resorted to frantic Google searches for “how to open a bottle without a bottle opener,” and ended up trying to open one with your teeth? Don’t try to open a beer with your teeth. Make sure that doesn’t happen at your party. Invest in a bottle opener and keep it on your bar at all times.

Wine Opener

Ice Bucket

No explanation needed. You need ice to keep your bottles cold (without having to get up and fetch more ice).

Wine Glasses

There are wine glasses for essentially every type of wine, but here’s the thing: Unless your friends are sommeliers, they’re not going to notice which type of glass they’re holding, as long as the glass is full. If you don’t want lots of glasses, one option is to go with a universal set. As we said, the most important thing about a wine glass is that it has wine in it.

Double Old-Fashioned Glasses

If you’re tight on space, don’t bother with glasses for every type of cocktail. Go with a set of double old-fashioned glasses, and serve everything in them. Whether you’re serving manhattans or margaritas, they’ll do just fine.

Booze

No need to stock your bar with every type of liquor under the sun. If you’re throwing a party and want to make a specialty cocktail, buy ingredients and alcohol as needed. But here’s what you should have around all the time:

<ul>
	<li>Vodka</li>
	<li>Gin</li>
	<li>Tequila</li>
	<li>Rum</li>
	<li>Whisky</li>
	<li>Vermouth (optional)</li>
</ul>

Mixers

The rule for alcohol applies to mixers, too. Keep seltzer, tonic, and bitters around all the time. Everything else you can buy as necessary.

Day-Of Supplies

Never have a party without the following items on your bar:

<ul>
	<li>Juices (Cranberry&nbsp;is a great no-fail option. Orange and pineapple juices are also good choices.)</li>
	<li>Lemons and limes</li>
	<li>Ice</li>
	<li>Olives</li>
</ul>

How-to

Cheat Sheet: Cocktail Party

So you’re hosting a soiree. Here’s what you need to know to make sure it goes smoothly.
Deciding to host a party is easy. And, as long as you’re prepared, the party will be a memorable hit. Luckily, we’ve thrown lots of parties, and we’re happy to share our intel with you. Here’s a cheat sheet to make sure your guests (and you) have a great time.

Keep It Simple

In an ideal world, all of our parties would include separate stations for Moscow mules, mojitos, Manhattans, martinis, and more. But this isn’t an ideal world, this is your living room. The good news is that booze is booze, and your guests will likely drink whatever you’re serving. Stock up on wine and beer (a mix of mid- and low-priced is fine), and buy bottles of vodka, tequila, gin, and whiskey with some basic mixers (like club soda, regular soda, and juices). To save time, space, and effort, choose a popular specialty cocktail that’s easy to make and serve in bulk, like margaritas. We promise no one will notice the difference.

Make Sure Your Tools Are in Working Order

What will your guests notice? That bottle of wine or beer they’re trying to drink but can’t open. Make sure you’ve got the tools you need, and that they’re clean, working, and ready to go for the night. It probably doesn’t hurt to have an extra bottle opener either.

Hydration Is Key

If you’re serving alcohol, have water and sodas available as well. Fill a few pitchers and put them on the bar, and set up a pretty mixer station for sippers and teetotalers alike. Be sure to stock up on ice well before the party. It will slow people down (more ice in the glass means less room for booze!) and help everyone stay hydrated.

Food Is Good

There should be something for guests to munch on, but no need to go overboard. A veggie tray (which can be picked up at the supermarket) along with chips and hummus, salsa, or guacamole are no-fuss crowd-pleasers. Without adding much time or effort, opt for pizza bagels or pigs in a blanket—conveniently found in the frozen section of your grocery store. Keep it easy, so you can spend your time with your guests, not in the kitchen.

More Is More

Unopened bottles of wine won’t ruin a party, but running out might. As a rule of thumb, figure on two drinks per person during the first hour, and one per person during each subsequent hour. Make sure you have plenty of ice. You can never have too much!

Consider Cleanup

At some point, someone is going to spill something. No biggie. Just make sure you have cleaning products on hand! And get an arsenal of supplies ready for the real effort the next morning.

Megan Schlow

Recipe

Christmas

Spiced Rum Spiked Hot Cider Recipe

Ingredients

1 2-gallon jug&nbsp;apple cider 
2 3-inch pieces of stick cinnamon 
1 orange, peel scrubbed and cut into thin 1/2 moons 
3 oz spiced rum per serving, about 1 1/2 jiggers 
6 cinnamon sticks, to garnish

Instructions

Tools

Watermelon-Lime & Ginger Granita Recipe

So refreshing on a hot day! You can serve it as a light dessert or as a palate cleanser between courses. Or serve as an appetizer/cocktail by serving in a martini glass and drizzling with watermelon vodka.

Granita

6 cups cubed ripe seedless watermelon
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Garnish

Small watermelon wedges and/or mint sprigs

Terry Grieco Kenny

Rosemary-Lemonade Cocktail Recipe

Our rosemary-lemonade drink is a refreshing summertime recipe that can become a sophisticated cocktail with the addition of vodka.

Rosemary-Lemonade

4 cups water, divided

1 cup granulated sugar

10 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 large lemons)

Additional lemon slices and rosemary sprigs for garnish

Sliced lemons

For Cocktails

2 1/2 cups vodka

2 1/2 cups sparkling water

Rosemary sprigs and lemon slices for garnish

Salty Melon Margaritas

This twist on the classic margarita makes use of cantaloupe melon. If you leave this juice virgin it makes an amazing drink for everyone in the family. Keep the tequila, salt, and plenty of ice on the side for adults and everyone wins.

1 cantaloupe seeded and peeled and cut into large chunks, about 6-7 cups

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon of salt + 1/2 cup coarse salt for the glasses

1 lime cut

1/4 cup silver tequila per drink

Ice

Perfect Non-Alcoholic Punch Recipe

Equal parts orange juice, grapefruit juice and soda 
Lots of ice 
Orange and grapefruit wedges

Julie Hartigan

Pear and Elderflower Champagne Punch

3 1/2 cups pear nectar, divided 
3 cups club soda 
2 1/4 cups elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain) 
3/4 cup pear liqueur 
2 bottles brut Champagne, chilled 
1 pear, thinly sliced

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled or even tripled to serve in a large punch bowl. To keep chilled try freezing the pear nectar in a ring or Bundt pan for gorgeous slow-melting, wreath-shaped ice.

cocktail

Our Favorite Drinks to Ring In the New Year

cocktail

grapefruit and thyme salty dog spritz

cocktail

The Best Drinkware to Ring in the New Year

cocktail

Recipe Roundup: Summer Cocktails

cocktail

Starter Pack: Stock Your First Home Bar

cocktail

Cheat Sheet: Cocktail Party

cocktail

Spiced Rum Spiked Hot Cider Recipe

cocktail

Watermelon-Lime & Ginger Granita Recipe

cocktail

Rosemary-Lemonade Cocktail Recipe

cocktail

Salty Melon Margaritas

cocktail

Perfect Non-Alcoholic Punch Recipe

cocktail

Pear and Elderflower Champagne Punch

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