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A large party isn’t a good idea this New Year’s Eve, but no matter how small your circle of celebrants, you can still spread cheer and be merry! Here are some festive ideas that can be scaled up or down. The best part is that all the ingredients are available right at your local grocery store, so you still have time to run out and grab everything you need.
Whiskey Fix
My favorite of the many premixed cocktails now available is On the Rocks Premium Cocktails’ ready-to-drink Old-Fashioned made with Knob Creek Bourbon.
Pour over ice, garnish and you are set! This legit bottled cocktail is a great way to offer consistent drinks all night that never falter (even if you’ve already had a couple yourself). Find On the Rocks at Whole Foods Market. Many liquor stores, bars and even supermarkets offer other brands, making home bartending as easy as opening a can or bottle.
Simply pour 2-1/2 to 3 ounces of On the Rocks Old-Fashioned mix over ice or a large ice cube.
Garnish: Wide orange twist and Luxardo maraschino or amarena cherries on a bar pick
Bubble Bar
Nothing is more iconic for New Year’s than bubbles. What is even better is giving your guests options to “dress up” their bubbles.
Here is a simple way to offer festive sparkling- wine mimosas without muss or fuss. If you can offer fresh juice, that is always best. I like the local juicer Govinda’s, available in many markets in a wide variety of fresh flavors.
To set up your bubble bar, select a sparkling wine or Champagne, then offer a selection of fruit purees or juices to stir in. Some ideas:
>> Fresh orange juice
>> Fresh lilikoi juice
>> Bottled pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)
>> Guava juice
Sangria OTF (On the Fly)
If you would rather throw a tasty cocktail in a big punch bowl and call it a day, this sangria recipe is as easy as it gets and is a real crowd pleaser.
If you don’t have time to freeze a large block of ice, you can purchase one from Hawaiian Ice Co. It’s just $4, allowing you to splurge on the berries and citrus to make the cocktail pop in the punch bowl.
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 12-1/2 ounces peach vodka
- 6 ounces St-Germain elderflower liqueur
- 3 ounces lemon juice
- 16 ounces orange-lilikoi juice (Govinda’s brand preferred)
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice or one large block of ice. Makes about 12 cocktails.
Garnish: Seasonal berries, mint leaves, thin citrus wheels
Spanish Gin and Tonic
Spain is known for a deep love of gin and wide consumption of the GNT. The garnishes used — botanicals, citrus, fruits and herbs — create beautiful drinks that are hard to turn down. In the U.S., gin and tonics are making a comeback, and all of the different tonics out there provide a wonderful opportunity to mix and match. My preference is the Fever Tree line, which, along with classic Indian tonic, offers citrus, Mediterranean, elderflower and cucumber flavors.
- 1-1/2 to 2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 3-1/2 ounces chilled tonic
Add lime, gin and tonic to large balloon glass. Fill with ice.
Garnish ideas: Star anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, basil, grapefruit, lemon, blood orange, lime, strawberries, raspberries, star fruit, kiwi slices
Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Hawaii. Her column runs on the fourth week of the month. The liquors and liqueurs used in these recipes are widely available from Oahu liquor stores and some supermarkets.
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