The Victoria Napolitano Bookstore Mademoiselle 2019 VIctoria Napolitano | Page 51
New years eve party!
In planning a New Years Eve party, one of the
most exciting items is the selection of cock-
tails for the party. New Years Eve is a holiday
which is largely associated with alcohol con-
sumption. Those who attend these parties are
likely to expect an array of interesting cocktails
to celebrate the coming of the New Year and
many hosts are more than willing to oblige their
guests with an assortment of delicious and in-
teresting cocktails.
When planning a New Years Eve party which
will include children, it is important to plan on
serving a wide variety of non alcoholic beverag-
es in addition to the alcoholic cocktails for the
adults. This is important because it will prevent
the children from being envious of the interest-
ing beverages the adults are drinking. It will also
prevent the children from being curious about
the drinks the adults are enjoying and attempt-
ing to sneak a taste of these beverages. Non al-
coholic cocktails are also considered mocktails
and can often be created to look just like the
real beverages in a wide variety of colors, fla-
vors and textures. Beverages such as the pina
coloda, margarita and a variety of martinis can
all be made in non alcoholic versions.
In planning cocktails for a New Years Eve par-
ty, you should consider offering a wide variety
of beverages throughout the night. This could
include both hot, cold drinks and even frozen
drinks. One of the most popular cocktail op-
tions for a New Years Eve party is punch which
is served from a punch bowl. This festive cock-
tail is typically sweet and contains ingredients
such as fruit juices, lemon lime soda and an ar-
ray of alcoholic ingredients such as vodka and
rum. Some hosts may even include champagne
in the punch mixture. Adding a scoop or two of
sherbet to the punch bowl also helps to cool the
beverage and adds an additional layer of taste
and texture to the mixture.
Another popular option of a New Years Eve
party is to offer one signature cocktail through-
out the evening. This can be an item such as
a Martini created specifically for the occasion
with a seasonal feeling. An eggnog martini is an
example of a beverage which is a great deal of
fun as well as appropriate for the season. Cham-
pagne cocktails are also appropriate for a New
Years Eve party. You can create a simply cham-
pagne cocktail by combining champagne with
sweet vermouth and grenadine.
Hot cocktails are also popular options for a
New Years Eve party. Spiked coffees and hot
chocolates are always popular but for a more
festive cocktail consider creating drinks with a
hot cider base. You can create a luxurious hot
chocolate cocktail by combining a butterscotch
flavored liqueur with rich hot chocolate. An
example of a hot beverage which is also quite
festive is a hot cider spiced with cranberry juice
and rum. Although hot cocktails are extremely
popular, most guests will likely only drink one
or two hot cocktails during the evening. Con-
versely they are likely to consumer significantly
more cold cocktails during the course of the
evening. For this reason, it is recommended to
provide both hot and cold cocktails during your
New Years Eve party.
Regardless of the type of cocktails you decide
to serve throughout the evening, it is customary
to offer a champagne cocktail at midnight. You
should begin distributing the champagne a few
minutes before midnight to ensure everyone
has their glass in hand to make a toast and take
a sip of the bubbly champagne at midnight.
Offering the champagne in an elegant glass and
including a strawberry in the glass can create a
more elegant presentation. You should also use
a fine champagne. During the evening, you may
have served alcohols which fit your budget, but
it is worthwhile to splurge on a more expensive
champagne for the toast at midnight.