photo: courtesy of Bridget Cicenia; pictured:
Violet Hour's champagne cocktail
Nothing gets a celebration going like the distinctive "pop!" of a champagne bottle, but why resign yourself to an evening of drinking boring, unadorned bubbly? After a few glasses, even the good stuff loses that effervescent glow, but champagne cocktails can be a delightfully retro alternative to the standard New Year's toast. Not just for brunch—although we couldn't resist recommending a few morning sparklers to stave off your January 1 hangover—champagne added with fruit, bitters or even beer can turn an ordinary flute into a lively party guest.
Mimosa flight at Bin Wine Cafe
Is there a better way to start your day? This quintessential cocktail is typically associated with the hangover brunch. While there has been some squabbling over the origins of this sweet, effervescent "hair of the dog" tipple (the Paris Ritz claims to have invented it in 1925, but a bartender at Buck's Pub of London was pouring the drink three years prior), one thing is certain: No New Year's Day brunch is complete without one. Bin Wine Cafe takes the classic further, giving it the ever-chic flight treatment. Featuring four three-ounce tasting portions, in flavors like pomegranate, pineapple, bellini and Madras (classic OJ with just a splash of cranberry), Bin's mimosa flight ($12) is ideal for the indecisive.
Bellini at Pops for Champagne
Who would have thought it would take so long for bellinis to get some props? This currently popular drink dates back to a Venetian bar, circa 1935. Frequented by literary giants like Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, Harry's Bar began offering the drink seasonally to stave off the warm weather blahs. When owner Harry Cipriani opened a New York location, bellini fever spread like wildfire, but the excitement was short lived. So, why all the fuss now? Maybe people just wanted a return to simplicity; Harry's original recipe, like the one Pops uses, calls for nothing other than fresh peach puree and prosecco. It's hard to imagine how anyone can improve upon such perfection, but Pops has figured it out: It serves the cocktail in a pitcher, for only $17.
Positano at Vinci
Although Vinci is a mainstay for the theatre crowd, coming earlier in the day opens up a whole new menu from this rustic Italian eatery. While Hemingway was busy knocking back bellinis at Harry's Bar, another American writer was becoming intimately familiar with Italy's Amalfi Coast. John Steinbeck later raved about the wonders of Positano, adding that his impulse was to conceal such a beautiful place. Maybe that's why he never mentioned the refreshing cocktail, made from local fruits, that takes the town's name. Steinbeck may have known how to keep a secret, but Vinci doesn't; fresh strawberry puree, blood orange juice and crisp prosecco mingle together in its Positano ($7.50).
Le Perroquet at Motel Bar
For mimosa enthusiasts who moonlight—Motel Bar's Le Perroquet ($12) plays up the sweet citrus fizz of your morning fave. It begins, of course, with the tried-and-true combo of Vida Organica Sparkling Wine and orange juice. Hendrick's Gin gussies the drink up for cocktail hour, and a splash of Campari, a type of bitters, adds a touch of old-world class. French for "parrot," this beverage is traditionally made with mint syrup and pastis, an anise-flavored aperitif. Motel Bar's version is more popular in New Orleans, likely for the hedonistic stigma of Campari and the extra alcoholic bite of the gin.
Champagne Cocktail at Violet Hour
Celebrated mixologist Toby Maloney makes the best champagne cocktail around, and the secret is in the sugar—cube, to be precise. Placing a sugar cube in the bottom of a coupe glass—that's the stout devil you've seen in old movies—Maloney then add Angostura bitters, sparkling Gruet, lemon oil and a twist. The cube keeps the drink ($11) bubbling, and the lemons add crispness. You might be asking why a bar that has a handcrafted line of its own bitters would opt for the bottled stuff. Simple: The bitters, which were created in 1824, put the drinker in touch with generations past; since the 19th century, this cocktail—always made with Angostura—has littered upper-crust soirees, silver-screen toasts and genteel dinner parties.
Fizz on!
Blue Sparkle Bellini at Scoozi!
The Blue Sparkle Bellini ($9.95) bubbles with the best of 'em, but it offers a bit more pizzazz by including orange-flavored Cointreau and the saccharine tones of Blue Curacao.
Black Velvet at Flo
Stout and champagne? Okay, we'll be the first to admit that it's a little strange, but the Guinness-spiked mimosa at Flo ($8) is a silky way for beer drinkers to indulge in the celebratory bubbly.
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