11 New Year's Cocktails to Sip When the Clock Strikes Midnight

No New Year's Eve celebration would be complete with a few handcrafted cocktails that look as festive as they taste. Sure, traditional bubbly will do the trick, but there's always room for a bit of creativity and flair when it comes to New Year's cocktails. 

It's the perfect evening to flex your bartending muscles and experiment with new flavors, ingredients, and combinations. As with anything else, seasonal ingredients are best so you'll want to focus on drinks that call for fresh in-season fruits. Think figs, cranberries, pomegranates, pears, grapefruit, and other winter favorites. Garnished with fresh thyme, mint, or rosemary herbs, you'll create a winter treat that won't soon be forgotten.

If you don't already have a signature cocktail or are looking for something fresh and innovative, turn to one of these New Year's cocktails. They're sparkling, fruity, fragrant and all but guaranteed to get any celebration off to a good start. From a pomegranate smash to a prosecco mojito, there's something for everyone. Here's what you'll be sipping when the clock strikes midnight on the last night of the year.

Can you think of anything more decadent to sip on as you celebrate the last night of the year than some brown sugar fig bubbly? This cocktail has it all: fresh fig slices, sweet brown sugar, citrus lemon juice, and chilled prosecco. Grab a muddler and make a fig compote out of the figs, sugar, and lemon before topping with ice and prosecco.

This sparkling sangria is just the thing to serve to a crowd at a New Year's Eve gathering. Not only is it easy to make, but it's also healthier than your average high-sugar mixed drink. Make a big batch with a bottle of white Moscato, cranberry juice, fresh cranberries, orange slices, and a bottle of brut champagne. While it comes together quickly, be sure to leave yourself time to let the pitcher sit in the refrigerate for at least four hours. Better yet, make it the day before and let it sit overnight.

For a sparkling cocktail made with seasonal fruits, make a batch of these pear and cranberry champagne cocktails. This one requires a bit of extra effort, but it's well worth the wait. It calls for a homemade fruit purée made with cranberries, pears, orange zest, and maple syrup. Once you've prepared the compote, you'll top off each flute with a bit a champagne.

If you love margaritas but want to drink something festive as you ring in the New Year, try your hand at these pineapple margarita sparklers. The recipe calls for freshly muddled pineapples chunks, lemon and lime juice, tequila, and Grand Marnier. Then, right before you serve your masterpiece, top it off with a splash of champagne. You'll be left with a fruity, bubbly concoction that's so much more fun than a simple glass of champagne.

Pomegranate and ginger are some of the most iconic flavors of the holiday season, which is why this Paloma is the perfect New Year's cocktail. First, whip up a sharp syrup with honey, ginger, and mint leaves. Then, prepare the Paloma by mixing pomegranate juice, lime juice, tequila, and the ginger syrup. Garnish with a mint leaf to truly impress your guests.

If you have 10 minutes to spare, you have enough time to mix up a pitcher of peach prosecco mojitos. You can easily double (or triple) the recipe to serve a crowd, and it's a cinch to make. You'll need limes, mint, peach slices, peach juice, simple syrup, white rum, and prosecco. Stir it all up in a large pitcher and strain over ice before serving.

For a sophisticated beverage, look no further than this creation dubbed the golden night cocktail. It was practically made for toasting and requires a simple syrup made with sugar, water, cardamom pods, and a touch of brandy. Pour this mixture into champagne coups and top with chilled champagne and pear slices for garnish.

The scent and sight of rosemary are fitting for the holidays, which is why you'll want to whip up this rosemary greyhound cocktail before the clock strikes midnight and the holiday season officially comes to an end. It calls for rosemary simple syrup, vodka, grapefruit juice, and lime juice and will be a welcome alternative to the rest of the bubbly cocktails sure to be making the rounds on December 31.

Perfect for a New Year's brunch or evening affair, these lavender bellinis taste as good as they look. In order to mix up the concoction, you'll start with a lavender simple syrup made from water, sugar, and dried culinary lavender buds. Then, add a bit of this mixture to a champagne flute before topping with champagne and peach juice. For the final touch, top with a sprig of lavender.

Just one look at this drink and you'll feel like celebrating. It's a pomegranate prosecco smash and it couldn't be easier to mix up. Simply fill a glass with ice and add pomegranate juice, maple syrup, vodka, and prosecco before topping it all off with pomegranate arils and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Figs are practically synonymous with the holiday season, so why not prepare a sparkling cocktail that makes the most of the ingredient for your New Year's fête. For this sparkling fig and honey cocktail, you'll need honey, figs, thyme, champagne, apple cider, and orange liquor. Is your mouth watering yet? Make a syrup with the honey, water, and figs before adding to a pitcher with the rest of the fragrant ingredients.

Next up: 11 holiday party ideas to consider if you actually want guests to have fun.