The Best Bubbly Cocktails for All Your Holiday Toasts

It’s the Most Bubbly Time of the Year!

Sharing laughs across the table at an intimate gathering, or cozy snuggled up with your favourite furry friend— no matter what your holiday plans are, a sparkling sip to celebrate the year is certainly in order! This season, we’ve teamed up with a few of our friends to share some of the most delicious bubbly cocktails for all your holiday toasts. Enjoy!

We’re kicking things off with @bitesizedstudio‘s ‘Empress Celebration’. Bursting with flavours of pomegranate, orange, and cinnamon, this sip could easily be your new seasonal favourite!

EMPRESS CELEBRATION

Ingredients:

• 1½ oz Empress 1908 Gin
• 1½ oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters
• Sparkling Wine (to top)
• 2 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
• Grapefruit Wedge & Cinnamon Stick

METHOD:

Muddle the pomegranate seeds in a cocktail shaker. Add the gin, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, bitters, and some ice to the shaker and shake for 15-30 seconds. Pour into a cocktail glass with fresh ice and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and cinnamon stick!

I named it the “Empress Celebration” because it explodes with flavor and looks super festive.

@Bitesizedstudio

Our next bubbly recipe is as festive as it gets! Featuring @gulia_foodstories‘ homemade spiced cranberry cordial and a generous splash of sparkling wine, it’s ideal for sharing with loved ones at your next holiday soirée! 

Bubbly Spiced Cranberry Cocktail
[Serves 8]

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (240ml) Spiced Cranberry Cordial*
• 1 cup (240ml) freshly squeezed juice from 2 pink grapefruits
• 7 oz (200 ml) Empress 1908 Gin
  TO SERVE:
• 1 bottle (750ml) chilled sparkling wine, to top
• Fresh cranberries (to garnish)

METHOD:

Up to 2 hours before serving, mix cordial, grapefruit juice, and gin in a pitcher, bottle, or resealable container. For Each Cocktail: Fill a glass with ice and add 3 1/2 ounces (105ml) Cocktail Mix and 2 ounces (60ml) chilled sparkling wine. Stir gently and serve. Cocktail mix makes 8 servings.

*CORDIAL RECIPE:

• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 2 whole star anise pods
• 5 cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cup (240ml) water
• 2 cups (400g) sugar
• Peel of one orange (use a vegetable peeler to remove zest only)
• 2 cups (225g) fresh cranberries
• 1 cup (240ml) fresh juice from about 8 limes
• 3/4 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt

CORDIAL METHOD:

Add whole spices to a saucepan and toast over medium heat, shaking pan frequently, until fragrant. Add water, sugar, orange peel, cranberries, lime juice, and salt and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and cook, using a wooden spoon to press fruit against side of pan, until all of the cranberries have popped. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a resealable container. Cordial can be kept up to 3 weeks.

This drink hits all the right holiday notes: simmered tart cranberries, toasty spices, gin, and a topper of bubbly.

@gulia_foodstories

Next up, this effervescent creation by our friend @thehobbydrinkchef is the perfect centerpiece for your next holiday party.

A fresh take on the classic French 75, AJ infuses flavours of hibiscus, cherry, and a touch of licorice. Read below for all the details and raise a toast with this sparkling sip in hand! 

FROM VICTORIA WITH LOVE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ oz of Empress 1908 Gin
• ¾ oz of Hibiscus & Cherry Syrup
• ½ oz of Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
• 2 dashes of Absinthe
• Topped with Champagne
• Garnish with a Cherry 

METHOD:

Add all ingredients, except the champagne, to a mixing tin with ice and shake. Strain into a flute glass, top with champagne, and garnish with a cherry!

Here, I’ve put together a more complex version of the classic French 75 – combining the amazing, floral, earthy notes of Empress Gin with homemade hibiscus & cherry syrup made from local ingredients.

@thehobbydrinkchef

We have a special treat coming up for you next! What do you get when you add Empress 1908 Gin, a scoop of lemon sorbet, and a healthy dose of bubbly to top? Why, @cocktail_contessa‘s ‘Royal Sorbet 75’, of course! Read below for all the details on how to make this must-try for your next holiday get-together.

Royal sorbet 75

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Empress 1908 Gin
• ½ oz Rosemary Infused Syrup
• ½ oz Lemon Juice
• 1 scoop Lemon Sorbet
• Champagne (to top)
• Lemon Zest
• Fresh Rosemary Sprig

Method:

Shake the gin, syrup, and rosemary in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Add a scoop of lemon sorbet, top with champagne, and garnish with lemon zest and a fresh rosemary sprig.

*To Batch for a party of 8:

• 1 cup Empress 1908 Gin
• ½ cup Rosemary Infused Syrup
• ½ cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Water

Method:

Chill for 4 hours. To serve, place a scoop of ice cream in each chilled coupe, add 2 oz of the batched cocktail, top with champagne, and garnish.

This one I could NOT put down.

@cocktail_contessa

Nothing says ‘holiday party’ like a big bowl of festive punch, and, boy, do we have the perfect recipe for you! But this is no ordinary punch—our friend @serendipitybysaralynn pulled out all the stops for this one. This grown-up version of the beloved drink of our younger years is full of flavour and just enough bubbly to make it the most perfect countdown sip!

Sparkling Gin Sorbet Punch
[Serves 18]

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup Empress 1908 Gin
• 2 pints Lemon Sorbet
• 3/4 cup Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1½ cup Cranberry Juice (sweetened)
• 3 oz Simple Syrup*
• 2 Lemons (thinly sliced, seeds removed)
• 2 Limes (thinly sliced, seeds removed)
• 2 Oranges (thinly sliced, seeds removed)
• 1 cup Fresh Cranberries
• 1 bottle Prosecco, Champagne, or Sparkling Wine

METHOD:

Pre-scoop the lemon sorbet, placing the scoops onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

In a punch bowl, combine the gin, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and simple syrup. Add the lemon slices, lime slices, orange slices, and fresh cranberries.

Stir in the bottle of prosecco, champagne, or sparkling wine. Taste and add more simple syrup or juice if necessary. Add the scoops of sorbet and let them melt for a few minutes before serving. The sorbet will keep the punch chilled. Ladle into glasses and enjoy!

*You may need more or less simple syrup depending on the sweetness of the prosecco, champagne, or sparkling wine that you use.

This grown up version has cranberry, bubbly, gin, lemon sorbet, and plenty of citrus for a holiday drink that is so gorgeous and great for sharing with friendsies.

@serendipitybysaralynn

But wait, there’s more! Be sure to check out these bubbly beauties if you’re still looking for just the right sip to ring the New Year in with!

For more inspiration check out our favourite winter recipes, or visit our signature cocktails page. Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays, and, as always, sip responsibly!