10 Unique Cocktails to Try at Your Next Party

 

 

Claridge's Hotel in London has one of that city's liveliest bars, and this drink is always in demand.

Ingredients:
¾ oz. pepper vodka
1 oz. peach schnapps
¾ oz. apple juice
¾ oz. cranberry juice

Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine all ingredients in the shaker and shake. Strain into Martini glass. Garnish with a whole red chili.  

Champagne Cocktail

or a classic Champagne cocktail, place one sugar cube at the bottom of the glass. Splash with three or four dashes of Angostura Bitters. Add ½ ounce of brandy and top with Champagne or sparkling wine. 

 

Frangipane

This beautiful multi-hued drink originates at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado.

Ingredients
2 ½ oz. vodka
¼ oz. Amaretto
¼ oz. limoncello
Splash of crème de framboise

Directions
Fill a shaker with ice. Add the vodka, Amaretto, and limoncello. Shake well and pour into a glass. Carefully add the crème de framboise, which will settle into the bottom of the glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries. 

 

American Whiskey Punch

Serve this delicious punch recipe from mixologist and co-owner of The Passenger and The Columbia Room in Washington, D.C., Derek Brown. It's a classic cocktail that's easy to create.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2 lemons, juice, peels reserved
16 oz. George Washington Rye Whiskey
4 cups water

Directions
Muddle the sugar and lemon peels. Add the lemon juice and 1 cup water to sugar mixture, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the whiskey and remaining water. Transfer to a large punch bowl filled with ice. Garnish with lemon wheels, if desired. This recipe makes one bowl of punch (about 6-8 cups).

Cosmo Russe

This refreshing version of the Cosmo was one of the most popular drinks at the beloved Russian Tea Room in New York.

Ingredients
1 ½ oz. berry vodka
½ oz. Grand Marnier
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
Splash of cranberry juice

Directions
To make an individual drink, fill a shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients. Shake and serve straight up. Garnish with three cranberries or a slice of lime. To serve in a pitcher, chill all the ingredients in advance and mix in the same proportions.

Julieta

From Aureole in New York, the Julieta combines ½ oz. cognac, ¼ ox. Maraschino liqueur, ½ oz. fresh lime juice, and 2 dashes bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a champagne cup. Top with sparkling wine.

 

Campari Sorbet

Allison Attenborough serves sorbet at dinner parties year-round. "I put Blue Moon's grapefruit Campari sorbet in a tall glass, then pour over a little extra Campari and a squeeze of lime," she says. "With a chocolate-covered pear slice on the side it's just fantastic." Dark-chocolate-covered key lime pear from Recchiuti Confections.

 

Kir Royale

The Kir Royale is one of the simplest, most elegant of Champagne cocktails. To make it, add about ½ ounce of crème de cassis, and then top with Champagne or sparkling wine.

 

Apple Spice

A simple and delicious drink from The Double Seven in Manhattan.

Ingredients
2 oz. vodka
5 oz. fresh apple juice
Cinnamon Brown sugar

Directions
Fill a tall glass with ice. Stir to mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of apple. 

Southern Cola

Any occasion becomes special when you can offer a house cocktail. Blogger Jennifer Boles of thepeakofchic.com suggests Southern Cola, courtesy of Holeman & Finch Public House, an Atlanta gastropub.

Ingredients
1 ½ oz, Amaro CioCiaro (other brands will do)
1 lime juice ice cube (make cubes using ¾ fresh lime juice and ¼ cup water)
4 oz. Coca-Cola (use Mexican Coca-Cola, which is made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, if you can find it)

Directions
Put the ice cube in a glass, pour in the Amaro, pour in the Coke, and gently stir.

By Sarah Yang