5 Cocktails for the 2023 New Year
Photo: Media from Wix
New Year’s Eve is the most memorable evening on the calendar, and it calls for a couple of drinks. To think that one hundred years ago, the country was in the middle of prohibition is crazy, so why not welcome 2023 with prohibition-era cocktails? Here are five of our favorite 1920s cocktails with a twist.
The Bourbon Side Car
The Side Car is a famous brandy cocktail, but it’s equally tempting when using Bourbon — it’s smokier and sweeter. This New Year’s cocktail will swoon Bourbon enthusiasts off their feet.
2 ounces Bourbon
1-ounce triple sec
3/4 ounce lemon juice
Garnish: lemon peel
Shake all the ingredients with ice for 10-15 seconds and pour into a stemmed glass through a strainer. Garnish with a lemon peel.
The Agave Bees’ Knees
Honey is lovely, but agave syrup is just as sweet and much more enjoyable. Let’s make a Mezcal-based version of this 1920s cocktail to start the New Year with fresh ideas.
2 ounces Mezcal Joven
3/4 ounce agave syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Garnish: lemon peel
Pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake for 10-15 seconds, and pour through a strainer into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.
The Port Boulevardier
One of the oldest and most popular cocktails from New Orleans has just gotten better by substituting Vermouth for sweet Port. Port is delightful in the holiday season, so why not mix it with Bourbon and Campari?
1 1/4 ounces of Bourbon
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Ruby Port
Garnish: orange twist
Place a large ice cube in a rocks glass and pour the Bourbon, Campari, and Port. Stir gently and garnish with an orange twist.
Pink Rickey
There’s nothing more refreshing than a fizzy glass of Gin Rickey. And although this thirst-quenching cocktail is fantastic in summer, adding rosé can give it a celebratory feel. This is an easy and delicious New Year’s Eve cocktail.
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce lime juice
Equal parts rosé and soda
Garnish: lime wheel
Fill a highball with fresh ice and pour the gin, lime juice, rosé, and soda. Stir gently and garnish with a lime wheel.
Mimosa French 75
What’s New Year’s Eve without sparkling wine? Let’s combine two of everyone’s favorite sparkling wine cocktails into the Mimosa and the French 75. Orange juice gives a tangy sweetness to the fancy drink.
1-ounce gin
1-ounce orange juice
3 ounces Champagne
Garnish: lemon twist
Pour the gin and orange juice into a flute glass, top with Champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist.