5 Champagne Cocktails To Begin Your New Year With

It’s going to be a new year and considering how shitty 2017 has been, you’re going to have to welcome this one with style. And what’s more stylish and celebratory than champagne? Umm…nothing. But we aren’t talking just popping open the bubbly, we’re talking creating droolworthy cocktails with champagne that’ll make even the worst party seem fantastic.

Mexican 75

You’ve heard of French 75, now get ready for Mexican 75 – a deadly yet sophisticated mixture of tequila and champagne. It’s refreshing and a quintessential party drink that’ll have your friends go from drinking with their pinky finger up to dancing to Bappi da’s tunes real quick.

What you’ll need:

• 60 ml fresh lime juice
• 118 ml silver tequila
• 4 tsp agave nectar
• Champagne

Instructions:

1. Pour lime juice, tequila and agave nectar into cocktail shaker and fill half of the shaker with ice
2. Shake well till chilled
3. Strain equal amounts into 2 champagne flutes
4. Fill 3/4th of glass with champagne and serve
5. Garnish with lime (Add in sugar or salt if you like)

Blackberry Thyme Sparklers

How goddamn beautiful is this cocktail! It’s got a creative mix of everything we love – blackberry, thyme, gin and of course, champagne. It’s perfect to impress guests or even just yourself with. This berrylicious drink is going to become a staple at every celebration, we guarantee it.
(Serves 4)

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup blackberries + 8 more as garnish
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 bottle champagne
• 1/2 cup gin
•  4 thyme sprigs
• Gold baking sugar for rim

Instructions:

1. Bring blackberries, water and sugar to boil in a small saucepan
2. Simmer for 10 minutes on reduced heat, then take off stove, drain blackberries and cool
3. Apply a tiny bit of butter on your fingers and rub them around your glasses’ rim
4. Dip the rim into gold baking sugar
5. Add 30 ml of gin in each glass and drop into 2 blackberries each
6. Pour in 60 ml of blackberry simple syrup mixture
7. Fill rest of the glass with champagne and add 1 sprig of thyme each

Black Velvet

For those of you who want the posh-ness of champagne but the casualness of beer, Black Velvet is the way to go. Don’t be mistaken, this is just as luxurious as champagne cocktails come and it packs quite a heady mix in one flute.

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 flute Guinness Draught or Stout
• 1/2 flute champagne

Instructions:

1. Pour Guinness into a chilled flute
2. Pour champagne slowly over a bar spoon so as to layer it on top and serve

Mimosa Margarita

Planning a celebratory brunch or just want the joy of a mimosa and margarita combined? This drink has everything you’ll ever need. It’s a refreshing combo that’s easy to whip up and can be garnished to look even more glamorous than it already is.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 bottle champagne
• Lime wedge and coarse salt for rimming
• Orange and lime slices for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add orange juice, lime juice and tequila to a pitcher and stir to combine well
2. Rim glasses with lime wedge then dip in salt
3. Pour in orange mixture from pitcher and add champagne on top
4. Add orange slices and lime slices before serving

Champagne Punch Bellini

An adorable cocktail filled with champagne and raspberry sorbet that’s easy to make and serve – really, what more do you need? You can substitute the raspberry sorbet and raspberries for any of your favourite fruits to add a personal touch.

What you’ll need:

• 1 bottle champagne or prosecco
• 1/2 cup raspberry sorbet
• Fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Add 1 tbsp of sorbet into your champagne glass
2. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne
3. Top with raspberries
4. Serve immediately