By Katie Waldeck from care2.com

It’s time to ring in the New Year. Whether you’re hosting a fabulous fête for 150 of your closest friends, or curling up on the couch with loved ones to watch the ball drop, New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration. Unsure of what drinks to serve to ring in the New Year?  For crowds both big and small, click through to check out some fun, festive and fanciful New Year’s eve-inspired drinks.

1. Coffee Punch

Ingredients:
1 Pint milk
2 Quarts coffee, cooled
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Quart vanilla ice cream, left out to soften
1/2 Pint heavy whipping cream, whipped until thick
Nutmeg, ground

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk milk, coffee, vanilla and sugar until well blended.
2. Put ice cream in punch bowl. Pour coffee mixture over ice cream. Add whipped cream and sprinkle nutmeg.

Recipe Credit: Food.com
2. Italian Sparkling Citrus Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup vodka
• 1 1/2 Cups simple syrup
• 1 1/2 Cups limoncello
• 1/2 Cup lemon juice
• 1 Bottle prosecco

Instructions:
In a large punch bowl, all ingredients besides prosecco . Cover and let it refrigerate for about two hours. When serving, pour in prosecco and add an ice block.

Recipe Credit: DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks by Marcia Simmons and Jonas Halpren
3. Hot Butter Rum from Scratch

If you’ve only ever tried the store-bought batter kind, you’re in for a treat!

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Cups light brown sugar
• 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• Cloves, ground
• Table Salt
• 1 Bottle Dark Rum
• Cinnamon Sticks for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cream butter, sugar, nutmeg and a pinch each of nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Let mixture refrigerate until it is almost firm before using.
2. Boil water. Meanwhile, place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in coffee mugs. Top with 3 about 3 ounces of rum. Pour in boiling water and stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: Emeril Lagasse
4. Pomegranate-Champagne Punch

Ingredients

• 1 750-ml bottle brut champagne, chilled
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. white rum
• 2/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 thinly sliced lemon
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fresh mint leaves
• Block of Ice

Instructions

1. Make simple syrup. In small saucepan, bring water & sugar to boil, around 5 minutes. Once all the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and let cool completely.
2. In a punch bowl, combine champagne, juice and rum. Add simple syrup to sweeten, and mix in seeds, mint and lemon slices to taste. Add ice block to cool.

Recipe Credit: Bon Appetit
5. Rosemary-Pear Cocktail

Ingredients:
1 Cup sugar
1 Spring rosemary, plus more for garnish
1 Tablespoon pear nectar
1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Ounces burbon

Instructions:
1. Make simple syrup. In a small saucepan over high heat, cook sugar, one cup water, and rosemary to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn heat down to a simmer and let cook for another 10 minutes. Remove simple syrup from heat and let it cool off before straining through a fine-mesh sieve.
2. In a cocktail shaker, place pear nectar and 1/2 ounce of the rosemary simple syrup. Fill with ice, pouring lemon juice and bourbon over the top of the ice. Shake it for about 10 seconds before straining into a cocktail glass. Serve with a rosemary sprig garnish.

Recipe Adapted From: Serious Eats
6. Mulled Apple Juice (Non-Alcoholic)

Ingredients:
1 Large Navel orange, sliced into wedges and seeded
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 Teaspoon whole cloves
Split vanilla beans, 4 inches in length
1 Gallon apple juice, unfiltered

Instructions:
1. In a small sauce pan, heat orange slices, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla beans, just covering with apple juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a 3 quart pot, heat remaining apple juice. Add smaller mixture to large pot and stir. Reduce heat and serve.

Recipe Credit: Food.com
7. Mulled Wine with Honey

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle zinfandel
• 3/4 Cup honey
• 15 Whole black peppercorns
• 6 Whole Cloves
• 1 Cinnamon stick (plus more for garnish if desired)
• 1/4 Cup brandy
• Zest of 1 large orange, plus juice of orange

Instructions:
1. Over medium heat, cook wine, honey, 3/4 cup water, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves and orange zest and juice in a saucepan for about 3 minutes. Turn down heat to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. Pour mulled wine into mugs through a fine-mesh sieve. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and serve hot.

Recipe Adapted From: Simply Recipes
8. The Classic Champagne Cocktail

You can’t go wrong with this old standby — it’s simple, delicious and easy to make!

Makes 6 glasses.

Ingredients:
6 Sugar Cubes
Angostura Bitters
1 Bottle Champagne or Sparkling Wine
6 ounces brandy
Lemon or orange slices, for garnish
Maraschino Cherries (optional)

Instructions:
1. Place one sugar cube in each of the six champagne glasses. Add 2-3 dashes of bitters in each glass, saturating the sugar cube. Pour one ounce of brandy in each glass. Top with champagne and let sugar cube dissolve. Toss in some maraschino cherries if desired, and garnish with orange or lemon slices.
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