Cocktails for New Year's

Ring in the new year in style with these memorable cocktail recipes.

No other drink seems better suited to a celebration than Champagne. When those special moments arrive, you'll want to make sure you know how to open and serve this special beverage.

A few spoonfuls of tart red-currant puree add brightness to this easy, elegant cocktail.

A measure of mandarin liqueur is topped up with Champagne and garnished with aromatic clementine peel in this understated winter cocktail. If mandarin liqueur is not available, you may use Cointreau or Grand Marnier in its place.

The distinctive flavor of Cognac is perfectly complemented by the soft sweetness of sparkling apple cider. A few dashes of bitters in each glass add just the right balance to this cocktail.

This refreshing nonalcoholic cocktail is made from blackberry puree, white cranberry juice, and sparkling water. You may use frozen berries to make the blackberry puree.

Crushed raspberries and mint syrup are shaken up with vodka and a splash of cranberry juice to make this colorful cocktail. The rim of each glass is coated with crushed chocolate cookies.

Simple syrup infused with lemon zest adds aromatic sweetness to this punch made of vodka, lemon juice, and a bottle of Champagne. Garnish each glass of sparkling punch with a strip of candied lemon peel.

Homemade cranberry- and orange-infused vodka form the base of these deluxe cosmopolitans. The classic cosmo ingredients -- cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice -- complete the cocktail.

This version of the sweet, creamy Brandy Alexander is made with cream, coffee liqueur, and brandy. Blend with crushed ice for a frothy treat, or mix the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass.

Dress up an ordinary mimosa for a special occasion by using brilliant blood-orange juice.

Bring a taste of the tropics to your New Year's Eve party with these rum and coconut cocktails. Coconut milk, coconut cream, evaporated milk, and fresh grated coconut make these drinks especially rich and creamy.

Affordable Prosecco is used in place of Champagne in these pink Bellinis made with pear nectar and cranberry juice. These elegant drinks are equally suited to a cocktail party or a New Year's Day brunch.

Honey syrup is infused with lemon zest, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cloves and mixed with dry white wine and sweet orange Muscat. This white sangria is garnished with a bounty of winter fruit, including apples, pears, Meyer lemons, and kumquats.

Pear nectar and orange liqueur are mixed with pomegranate juice and a bottle of Champagne to create this easy, elegant punch. In place of the Champagne, you may use Prosecco or Cava, or any other variety of sparkling white wine you wish.

We gave the classic Cuban cocktail a New Year's twist by adding chilled Champagne.