12 Festive, Fun Drinks for the New Year

Want to make spirits bright this New Year’s Eve? Skip the usual chardonnay or basic martini, say area gourmands.

Whether you’re looking to add a dash of holiday to your typical alcoholic offerings or seeking new ways to add oomph to hot drinks from cocoa to coffee, our savvy sippers provide the following inspirational recipes. Oh, and some are even healthy (now there’s a sure way to start your “be healthy” New Year’s resolution, before Jan. 1!)

Holiday Cosmo Smoothie

(From Chef Pete Loren, director of culinary development, , Troy)

“This is a great way to get rid of that leftover cranberry sauce, which replaces cranberry juice in this recipe and makes it very smooth,” said Loren.

• 1 cup of ice
• ½ cup cranberry jelly (can use sauce, but will have a chunkier consistency) 
• 1½ ounces vodka
• Splash of Grand Marnier
• Blend all in a blender. 

Holiday Punch

(From , Troy)

Yield: 15-20, omit bourbon for nonalcoholic punch

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 6 star anise
• 6 cinnamon sticks (plus garnish)
  6 cloves
  1 zest of orange peel
  32 ounces of bourbon (such as Maker’s Mark)

Combine cider, anise, cinnamon, clove and zest in a pot and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Strain into punch bowl, add bourbon and serve warm or over ice.

Egg Nog

(From Troy)

Yield: 15-20, meant to be used in one day.

• 6 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 1 pint cream
• 16 ounces bourbon
• Grated nutmeg

Beat the yolks until they are light in color and gradually mix in 1/2 cup of the sugar. Combine milk, cream and nutmeg in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly add the yolks to the warm mixture, being careful to not add too quickly or you’ll get scrambled eggs.

Return to heat and bring to 160 F. Add bourbon and place in bowl in refrigerator to cool.

While cooling, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until they form stiff peaks. Fold into the bourbon mixture, grate fresh nutmeg over the concoction and serve.

Pomegranate Prosecco Punch

(From , Troy)

This is a great, light option, especially for those who don’t want hard liquor. Prosecco is a light, Italian sparkling wine.

Yield: 12 drinks

• 1 bottle Prosecco
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 cups limeade
• 1 quart pomegranate juice
• Orange slices
• Pomegranate seeds

Mix Prosecco, orange juice, limeade and pomegranate juice into a punch bowl. Add orange slices and pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Serve in glasses over ice (don’t add ice to the punch bowl or you will water it down).

La Poire

(From Bill Hamilton of Bill Hamilton Designs, wedding & event planner, Royal Oak, and Grey Goose Vodka) 

• 6 parts Grey Goose La Poire (pear) flavored vodka 
• 1 part lemon juice 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1 small, ripe pear – peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice 
• 1 bottle sparkling moscato (or other sweet, sparkling wine)

Place lemon juice, sugar, pear and La Poire in a bowl and stir well to combine until sugar is fully dissolved. Divide the pear mixture into six champagne glasses. Fill each glass with moscato wine. Present with crystallized ginger or mint sprigs. Creates 6 drinks.

Café Caramel with Cinnamon Holiday Blend

(From the — headquarters in Flushing, Mich., location in Berkley)

½ ounce Half and Half 

2 ounces caramel sauce  (Ghirardelli brand is preferred)
8 ounces of cinnamon-enhanced brewed coffee

Stir all together well and top with whipped cream if desired.

Café Diablo

(From the — headquarters in Flushing, MI, location in Berkley)

• Half brewed coffee
• Half hot cocoa
   
  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon

Hot caramel

(From Chef Pete Loren, director of culinary development, , Troy)

“Everybody does hot chocolate; I like to do hot caramel,” Loren said.

• 2 cups Half and Half
• 1 cup of caramel candies (such as Kraft)
• ½ to ¾ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

Heat it all up, until caramels are melted. Pour in cup. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate.

Pomegranate Cosmo

(From Chef Colin Brown, Rochester)

• 1½ ounces pomegranate juice
• 1½ ounces vodka
• ½ ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• ½ ounce ginger juice
• ½ teaspoon sugar to rim glass

Shake all ingredients except sugar in shaker with ice. Pour into sugar rimmed martini glass and garnish with lime twist.

Blueberry Bella

(From Brady Pankow, general manager of Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern, Bloomfield Hills)

“Our Blueberry Bella is one of our most popular drinks on the menu. It's named after the daughter of Rusty Bucket’s owner (Gary Callicoat),” said Pankow.
 

• 2 ounces blueberry vodka
• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 6 to 8 blueberries

Combine blueberries and lemon juice in tin and muddle. Add Simple syrup, vodka and fill with ice. Without shaking, strain over iced highball glass, garnish with two blueberries and a lemon spiral on a spear.

Cherry Cocktail

(From Michelle White, founder of Michelle’s Miracle, which features ultra-healthy tart cherry products in liquid and tablet form. This can also be made nonalcoholic by skipping the vodka.)

“Michelle's Miracle promotes healthy joints, supports sleep patterns and supports inflammatory response.  One ounce a day, every day is the key to a naturally healthy lifestyle,” said White. Her Original Tart Cherry Concentrate features Montmorency cherries that have been fresh-picked, cold-packed and flash-pasteurized to preserve the flavor and potency.

• Club soda
• 1 ounce of Michelle’s Miracle Tart Cherry Concentrate (available at stores)
  1 lime peel
• 1½ ounces of vodka

Fill 6 to 8-ounce glass with ice and soda. Add the vodka and concentrate and garnish with a lime. Or shake in a martini shaker for a cherry-tini.

Hot Bittersweet Orange Spiced Chocolate

(From Chef Jeremy Grandon, Jeremy Restaurant & Bar, Keego Harbor)
Yield: 2 drinks

• 8 ounces Callebaut (or any high quality) dark chocolate
• 8 ounces whole milk
• 2 ounces sugar 
• Whipped cream
• 2 ounces Cointreau
• 2 ounces vanilla Vodka
• 1 ounce spice syrup (recipe below) 

Fill oversized mugs with boiling hot water. Empty the water. Next, fill each of the mugs with the Cointreau, the vanilla vodka and the spice syrup (recipe below).

Last, put milk, sugar and chocolate in a sauce pan and melt it very slowly.  Stir constantly, as you do not want the milk or chocolate or sugar to scorch or burn. Once all the ingredients have melted pour into mugs. Finish with whipped cream and enjoy heaven on Earth.
 
Spice Syrup

Peel of half an orange
Peel of half a lemon
6 black peppercorns
1 clove
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
Half a cinnamon stick
1 cup water

In a small saucepan, bring the ingredients to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Makes enough for about 6 drinks.