On the Rocks: New Year’s Eve Edition.

One of these years I’m going to throw the perfect New Year’s fete. The cocktails would of course be of the utmost importance. (Especially if you want your guests to beg you for a repeat 365 days later…) I wouldn’t want them to be too champagne heavy – although some sort of bubbly would be a must – and unique enough that you’ve never experienced them before. Something like these…

Ingredients:
– 16 pieces bubblegum, preferably Double Bubble, cut in half
– 2 cups vodka
– 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
– 1 tablespoon simple syrup
– 1/2 egg white or 1 tablespoon pasteurized liquid egg white
– 1 cup ice

In large airtight container, combine bubblegum and vodka. Seal and allow to infuse, stirring every 6 hours, for 24 hours. Pour vodka through fine mesh strainer, discarding bubble gum. In cocktail shaker, stir together 2 ounces bubblegum-infused vodka, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white if using. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via epicurious

Ingredients:
– 1.5 oz cherry-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon
– 1.5 oz cherry-infused Graham’s Six Grapes Port
– Ice cubes

Put 1/2 cup of cherries into each of two clean jam jars. Top one jar with bourbon and the other with port, and store them in the fridge for a week. To serve, strain the alcohol (reserving the cherries) and combine the bourbon and port in a highball glass over ice (Plonk shakes it with ice and strains into a martini glass). Garnish with the spirits-soaked fruit. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Men’s Journal

Ingredients:
– 2 cups lemonade
– 2 cups orange juice
– 3 cups pineapple juice
– 2 cups gingerale
– 1 to 1 1/2 cups vodka
– pineapple spears for garnish
– fresh cranberries for garnish
– ice cubes

Combine the first 5 ingredients and keep chilled until ready to serve. Serve over ice cubes. Garnish with pineapple spears and cranberries. Serves 6-8.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Dragon’s Kitchen

Ingredients:
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 3/4 cup water
– 1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
– 6 limes, cut into wedges
– 2 cups light rum
– Cracked ice
– 3 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher. Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

:: cocktail recipe via Food & Wine