With the end of 2020 just hours away, it’s time to start thinking about a new year and new beginnings.
For many of us the new year can’t come fast enough, so we’ve decided to see 2020 off with a bang!
We’ve put together a list of 9 festive gin cocktails to help ring in the new year – including some bubbly New Year’s drinks and a few twists on some classic cocktails.
We might not be able to celebrate exactly how we’d like to, but no changes need to be made when it comes to the choice of drinks we have for the evening. Browse through our list of cocktails for some ginspiration and toast the new year in style.
Here’s to a better year ahead!
1. MULLED SLOE GIN & ORANGE
This delicious recipe for a Mulled Sloe Gin is full of warming spices and fruity flavours to enjoy on a cold winter’s night, and also perfect for ringing in the new year. Made with Monkey 47 Sloe Gin, it adds a wonderful tangy flavour to the serve along with delicious sweet red berry notes.
Recipe (Makes 2 Servings):
Ingredients
100 ml Monkey 47 Sloe Gin
300 ml Orange Juice
2 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
6 Cloves
1 Vanilla Pod (cut down the middle)
Slice of Orange and Cinnamon Stick to Garnish
Method
Add star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves and vanilla pod to a saucepan, followed by the orange juice. Stir and gently simmer for around 5-10 minutes, not allowing it to boil. Ladle into 2 mugs, then add 50 ml of Monkey 47 Sloe Gin into each mug. Garnish with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick. Best served piping hot.
2. GIN FIZZ
A classic cocktail providing sweet and sour flavours with some fizz, this serve is light and refreshing and very easy to make. No.3 London Dry Gin provides a nice balance of juniper, spice and citrus to complement this delightfully fresh and tasty cocktail.
Recipe:
Ingredients
50 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
30 ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon or Grapefruit Juice
15 ml Sugar Syrup
Ice
Soda Water
Lemon or Grapefruit Wedge to Garnish
Method
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top up with soda water. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
3. FRENCH 75
Another refreshing cocktail, this French 75 is perfect for any special occasion – and with the added addition of champagne, it’s a perfect tipple for sipping as the clock counts down to midnight. Made with Portofino Dry Gin, it adds refreshing citrus and herbal notes with light floral tones.
Recipe:
Ingredients
30 ml Portofino Gin
10 ml Sugar Syrup
10 ml Lemon Juice
Top with Champagne
Method
Add the gin, sugar syrup and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Add some ice, shake well and fine strain into a flute glass. Top up with champagne.
4. CLASSIC GIN MARTINI
A classic gin martini is an elegant and very easy to make cocktail – and a perfect drink to toast the start of 2021. Made with Tanqueray No. Ten, offering a smooth texture with a clean and fresh finish, say goodbye to 2020 in style with this classic gin cocktail.
Recipe:
Ingredients
50 ml Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
10 ml Dry Vermouth
Twist of Lemon or Pink Grapefruit to Garnish
Method
Add the gin and vermouth to a mixing glass. Gently stir with a bar spoon, then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a twist of pink grapefruit.
5. CHERRY NEGRONI
This Cherry Negroni is a fruity twist on the classic Italian cocktail we all know and love. It’s a combination of gin, Campari and maraschino cherry liqueur (with a dash of cherry bitters) providing a delicious fruity serve to sip on slowly as we welcome in the new year. Made with Sipsmith London Dry, it adds a rich and characterful flavour to this gorgeous cocktail.
Recipe:
Ingredients
50 ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
12.5 ml Campari
12.5 ml Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
Dash Cherry Bitters
Orange Zest to Garnish
Method
Stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass or jug with ice – for about 1 minute. Strain into a tumbler glass over a large block of ice. Garnish with orange zest.
6. PASSIONFRUIT GIN BELLINI
A twist on the classic Italian Bellini, this recipe for a Passionfruit Gin Bellini is made with Slingsby Gooseberry Gin and offers wonderful sharp, tangy flavours with delicious fresh passionfruit. Topped with prosecco, it is a wonderfully refreshing tipple to enjoy on the evening and perfect for those who enjoy tart cocktails.
Recipe:
Ingredients
25 ml Slingsby Gooseberry Gin
Dash of Fresh Lemon Juice
Prosecco
1 Passionfruit
Method
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker muddle 1 fresh passionfruit. Add the gin, lemon juice and some ice. Shake well and strain into a champagne flute. Top up with Prosecco.
7. SLOE ROYALE
This simple yet delightful cocktail is made with Sipsmith Sloe Gin and is a delicious twist on a classic Kir Royale. Providing a sweet, fruity flavour from the sloe berries and fizz from the champagne, this cocktail always goes down well with friends and family and is a super easy recipe to serve on New Year’s Eve.
Recipe:
Ingredients
15 ml Sipsmith Sloe Gin
100 ml Champagne or Prosecco
Method
Add the gin to a chilled flute glass and top with champagne (or prosecco).
8. FORENOON FIZZ
A Forenoon Fizz is a lovely refreshing cocktail with a delicious citrus flavour. It’s a combination of gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, marmalade and champagne – creating a delightful citrus forward serve with sweet orange undertones. Made with Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, it adds a subtle warmth to the drink, with notes of delicate spice.
Recipe:
Ingredients
40 ml Hendrick’s Lunar Gin
12.5 ml Cointreau
20 ml Lemon Juice
Spoonful of Orange Marmalade
Champagne
Tiny Triangle of Toast
Method
Pour the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and marmalade into a cocktail shaker. Stir until the marmalade has dissolved, add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail flute and top up with the champagne. Garnish with the toast, placing it on the edge of the glass.
9. DARK FORREST ESPRESSO MARTINI
A twist on a classic espresso martini, this Dark Forrest version is silky, smooth and indulgent with a hint of sweet cherry. Roku Gin has a clean and fresh taste, which perfectly complements the other flavours in this gorgeous serve.
Recipe:
Ingredients
65 ml Roku Gin
75 ml Stambecco Cherry Maraschino Amaro Liqueur
75 ml Freshly Brewed Espresso
1 Egg White
Ice
6 Coffee Beans to Garnish
Method
Pour the gin, cherry Maraschino liqueur, espresso and egg white into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into a martini glass and garnish with coffee beans.
