New Year’s is almost here and that means two things: Bowl games and champagne. On New Year’s we love to tailgate at home. Which means that we get a little more into the spirit than when we’re at the stadium. So we thought why not make some champagne cocktails to celebrate the New Year. We pulled some of our favorites so that you could experiment yourself. Here are fifteen champagne cocktail recipes for your New Year’s tailgate at home.
Champagne Versus Cava Versus Prosecco
Before we get to the recipes, we just wanted to take a minute to talk about the different types of sparkling wine. Champagne is made in the Champagne region of France. It is made in a traditional method where carbonation appears after bottling. Champagne tends to be dry with nutty notes. Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain. It can be white or rose. Cava also tends to be dry and has citrus notes. Prosecco is made in Northern Italy. It uses secondary fermentation to create carbonation. Prosecco is often sweeter, bright and fruity. All are great options for New Year’s, it just depends on personal taste and what cocktails you are making.
Champagne Cocktail Recipes For New Year’s
Now that you’ve stocked your wine fridge with sparkling drinks for your New Year’s tailgate party at home, let’s get to these awesome homegating recipes.
1. Classic Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients
- Brut Champagne
- 1 Sugar Cube
- 2-3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Lemon Twist
Instructions
- Place a sugar cube in a chilled champagne flute, lash it with 2 or 3 dashes of bitters, and fill the glass with brut champagne.
- Squeeze a lemon twist on top, then use as garnish.
Notes
We’re starting off with the classic champagne cocktail. The cocktail is made with sugar, bitters, and a lemon twist. Dating all the way back to the 1800s, this cocktail highlights the flavor of the champagne. You can also add a splash of brandy or cognac to spice it up as well.
2. French 75
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Gin
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 Tbsp Simple Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Brut Champagne or Prosecco
Instructions
- Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker then fill 3/4 of the way up with ice. Shake until well chilled then strain into two glasses. Top with champagne then serve.
Notes
French 75 is another classic champagne cocktail. It dates back to WW1 and was extremely popular at the famous Stork Club. Some recipes call for calvados or cognac instead of gin. However, we like the classic version the best.
3. Kir Royale
We’re not sure what we like better, the cocktail or the name. Perfect for an aperitif or to ring in the New Year. This cocktail uses a blend of creme de cassis and champagne. Not only is this a tasty cocktail, it’s very easy to make.
4. Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Filtered Water
- 1 Large Pomegranate
- 1 Bottle Sparkling Wine (Prosecco)
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the Pomegranate, strain, and set aside. Stir the sugar and water together in a saucepan over medium-low height until the sugar dissolves. Add about 1/2 of the pomegranate seeds into the saucepan and let them simmer on low for 5 minutes before crushing them with a fork or potato masher. Pull from heat and let the mixture macerate for another 5–10 minutes before straining and reserving the liquid.
- Put a teaspoon of pomegranate simple syrup in the bottom of a flute and cover with a spoonful of fresh pomegranate seeds. Hold the glass at an angle when filling with sparkling wine so it doesn’t disturb the simple syrup on the bottom.
Pomegranates are considered a lucky fruit in Mediterranean countries. It makes sense then to kick off your New Year with a pomegranate cocktail. We featured this cocktail a few years back and it was a huge fan favorite.
5. Blackberry Champagne Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Fresh Blackberries
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Bottle Champagne
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil on high heat, and then reduce to a simmer and let cook for approximately 15-17 minutes. The blackberries will become soft and bright in color and a pinkish purple syrup will form. Making sure it cooks down enough is essential to keeping the ombre effect. Take off of the heat and drain the blackberries, keeping the syrup in a separate bowl. Set both aside and allow to cool.
- Once blackberries and simple syrup are cooled, spoon about 4 tablespoons of syrup into the bottom of each champagne flute (this recipe makes 4 drinks)
- Top with champagne.
- Garnish with fresh blackberries or the cooked blackberries, and a sprig of rosemary.
- Cheers!
Notes
Not only is this a delicious cocktail with a blend of blackberry, rosemary, and champagne, it is also beautiful. The sugared rim sparkles against the layered cocktail. It’s definitely one that will impress your team when you serve it.
6. Champagne Margaritas
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 Oz Tequila
- 1 Oz Triple Sec
- 3 Oz Champagne
Instructions
- Optional: Rim glasses in sugar or salt. Do so by lining a shallow plate or bowl with lime juice. Fill another plate with salt or sugar. Flip glasses into lime juice and then into the salt (or sugar) and twist until edge is coated. Fill glasses with ice.
- Combine lime juice, tequila, and triple sec. Shake well and pour into ice-filled glass. Top with champagne. Add a lime to garnish!
Notes
You read that right. There is such a thing as a champagne margarita and it’s delicious. It speaks for itself.
7. Caribou Martini
Ingredients
- 2 Oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
- 2 Oz Champagne
Instructions
- Pour the vodka into a chilled cocktail glass. Fill the glass the rest of the way with champagne and stir gently. Garnish it with a coffee bean or a sugar rim.
Notes
If we don’t celebrate with champagne on New Year’s, we’ll usually have a martini. So when we found this delicious martini that uses champagne, we knew we had to make it. With only two ingredients, it’s a perfect option to serve at your New Year tailgate at home.
8. Sparkling Amaretto Sour
Ingredients
- 1 Oz Amaretto Liqueur
- 1/2 Oz Simple Syrup (dissolve an equal amount of sugar in water)
- 3/4 Oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4 Oz Prosecco
- 1 Orange Slice
- 1 Maraschino Cherry
Instructions
- Pour the Amaretto, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Add Prosecco and gently stir to combine. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Notes
Amaretto sours are really one of the best cocktails to warm you up in the winter. This version takes the classic cocktail and adds champagne. The result is a warm, light cocktail that is perfect for celebrating the New Year.
9. Sparkling Holiday Champagne Sangria
Ingredients
- 750 ML Bottle White Moscato
- 3 Cups 100% Cranberry Juice
- 2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
- 4 Orange, sliced
- 750 ML Bottle Brut Champagne
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients except the champagne in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but best overnight.
- Just before serving, stir in the champagne.
Notes
Sangria is always a hit at parties. It’s easy to make but you do have to plan ahead of time. This sangria is made by steeping the fruit in the wine, but right before serving you add champagne. The result is sweet, refreshing, and bubbly.
10. Spiced Pear Bellinis
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Pear Nectar
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Allspice
- 1 Bottle Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
Instructions
- Combine pear nectar, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, and Allspice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at least 1 hour. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard.
- Transfer the pear mixture to a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- For each drink, fill champagne flute 1/3 of the way with pear juice. Top with Prosecco.
Notes
Bellinis are a really tasty champagne cocktail, but they are definitely for warmer weather. However, this twist using pear and spices warms up the cocktail for cooler weather. This is an excellent champagne cocktail to serve with a cheese plate.
11. Winter Aperol Spritzer
Ingredients
- 3 Oz Aperol
- 1 Oz Pomegranate Juice
- 3 Oz Prosecco
- 1 Oz Club Soda or Sparkling Water
- Grapefruit Wedge
- Pomegranate Arils
- Sprig of Rosemary
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice and top with Aperol and pomegranate juice. Add prosecco and club soda.
- Garnish with a grapefruit wedge, pomegranate arils and a sprig of rosemary. Serve immediately.
Notes
Another warm weather cocktail that has been winterized is this winter aperol spritzer. Aperol is a more bitter spirit, but blended with pomegranate, citrus, and prosecco, it mellows the bitterness and brightens the citrus and herbal notes. It’s also very pretty, so great to serve to guests at your tailgate at home party.
12. Spiced Maple Bourbon Fizz
Ingredients
Spiced Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Tbsp Cardamon Pods
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Inch Fresh Ginger, sliced
- Zest from 1 Orange
Maple Fizz
- 3 Tbsp Bourbon
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1-2 Dashes Orange Bitters
- 2 Tbsp Spiced Maple Syrup
- Champagne, for topping
Instructions
- 1. To make the spiced maple syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the maple, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. Let cool, then strain the syrup into a glass jar. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.
- 2. In a cocktail shaker, combine 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, the bourbon, lemon juice, and orange bitters. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Top off with champagne. Garnish with an orange slice and star anise, if desired.
Notes
Is there anything better than the warm vanilla caramel flavor of bourbon to warm you up on a cool day? We’d argue this spiced maple bourbon fizz. This is the most involved cocktail on the list. It uses a variety of ingredients and takes a bit of prep time, but the results are worth it.
13. Blood Orange Champagne Mule
Ingredients
- 1/2 Medium Blood Orange (Juice)
- 1/2 Lime (Juice)
- 1 Oz Vodka
- 8 Leaves of Mint
- 2 Oz Chilled Ginger Beer
- Chilled Champagne, topping
Instructions
- In a glass, combine the blood orange juice, lime juice and vodka. Add the ginger beer and top with the champagne. Garnish with blood orange slices and fresh mint. Drink!
Notes
We definitely went through a Moscow Mule phase where we could not get enough of the cocktail. So when we saw this variation, we knew we had to try it. Adding the citrus and the champagne has made us fall in love with mules all over again.
14. Prosecco Punch
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Pineapple Juice
- 3 Cups Seltzer Water
- 750 ML Bottle Prosecco
- 1 Cup Vanilla Vodka
- 2 Cups Sliced Pineapple
- 2 Peaches, thinly slices
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Mint
- 3 Cups Ice
- 10 Wedges Pineapple, for garnish
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Combine pineapple juice, seltzer, Prosecco, vodka, pineapple slices, peaches, and mint in a punch bowl. Add ice and stir to combine.
- Using a wedge of pineapple, wet the rim of your glasses. Dip rims in sugar, then fill glasses with punch and garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a sprig of mint.
Notes
We’d be remiss if we put together a champagne cocktail list without featuring a couple of punches. Punch is such a great option for parties. It’s easy, impressive, and there’s always enough to go around. We love this prosecco punch, it’s bright, tasty, and easy to make.
15. Spiced Bourbon Punch
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Spiced Apple Cider
- 1 Bottle Bourbon
- 1 Bottle Champagne or Sparkling Wine
- 1.5 Cups Orange Liqueur or Triple Sec
- 1.5 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Spiced Simple Syrup
Spiced Simple Syrup
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 10 Whole Cloves
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 6 Star Anise
Instructions
- To make the simple syrup: combine the sugar, spices and 3/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let the syrup simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, strain out spices. *makes a little more than 1 cup.
Notes
If you’re in the mood for something a little spicier, try this spiced bourbon punch. Made with citrus, spices, and champagne, it’s a great punch to keep you and your guests warm. We know it will be a hit at your New Year’s tailgate at home.
These champagne cocktails are a great way to ring in the New Year. Whether you choose champagne, prosecco, or cava, you’ll be sure to have a tasty holiday. For more cocktail recipes and other ideas to tailgate at home, the team at Inside Tailgating has you covered. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and check out our Amazon Storefront as we share tons of ideas, recipes, and product reviews to help you have the best time at your event.
