NEW YEAR'S COCKTAILS

I HAVE THIS STRANGE HABIT OF TRYING TO MAKE ORDINARY EVENTS INTO SPECIAL OCCASIONS. ON ANY GIVEN DAY, I WILL HIT UP EAST VILLAGE CHEESE SHOP, MIX A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL AND HAVE MY FRIENDS OVER, BECAUSE HEY, THE OFFICE IS ON. SO WHEN IT COMES TO AN ACTUAL CELEBRATION, YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW CRAZY I CAN GET.

A FEW MONTHS AGO I CELEBRATED MY 24TH BIRTHDAY. IN TRADITIONAL JACK GERMAIN FASHION, I BEGAN RESEARCHING RECIPES AND COCKTAILS MONTHS PRIOR TO CREATE THE PERFECT ATMOSPHERE IN MY LITTLE L.E.S. APARTMENT. UPON THE GUESTS ARRIVAL, HORS D'OEUVRES WERE SERVED AND MY SPECIALTY GINGER AND GIN HOUSE DRINK WAS DISTRIBUTED. UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE OBSERVED THE LIQUOR-TO-DELICIOUS RATIO EXCEPT FOR ME, WHICH IS WHY I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T DIE THAT NIGHT. OKAY, SO NOBODY DIED, BUT IT WAS BAD...REAL BAD.

THAT BEING SAID, I WAS PRETTY SHOCKED WHEN MY FRIEND SARAH ASKED ME TO MAKE THE HOUSE DRINK FOR HER UPCOMING NEW YEARS EVE PARTY. AFTER ALL, SARAH WAS ONE OF THE MANY CASUALTIES FROM THAT EVENING, SO I WAS QUITE FLATTERED AND, OF COURSE, STARTED MY RESEARCH IMMEDIATELY. BELOW ARE A FEW COCKTAILS THAT WILL SURELY TAKE YOUR NEW YEARS PARTY TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU WON'T LOSE ANY FRIENDS IN THE PROCESS.

FRENCH 75

• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) gin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne, chilled

ZEST A LEMON TO CREATE A LONG, THIN SPIRAL. RESERVE LEMON FOR ANOTHER USE AND SET PEEL ASIDE.

IN COCKTAIL SHAKER, COMBINE GIN, LEMON JUICE, AND SIMPLE SYRUP. ADD ICE AND SHAKE VIGOROUSLY FOR 20 SECONDS.

STRAIN INTO CHILLED CHAMPAGNE FLUT AND TOP WITH SPARKING WINE.

CURL LEMON PEEL AROUND FINGER TO CREATE A TWIST. GARNISH AND SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

PISCO PUNCH

• 1 4-pound pineapple, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 750-ml bottle Pisco (SOUTH AMERICAN BRANDY)
• 2 cups Simple Syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated white grapefruit peel

• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• Ice cubes
• 12 pineapple leaves (optional)

PLEASE PINEAPPLE PIECES INTO A LARGE JAR. POUR PISCO OVER. COVER AND REFRIGERATE FOR 3 DAYS, SHAKING OCCASIONALLY. DIVIDE SIMPLE SYRUP BETWEEN 2 BOWLS. MIX GRATED LIME PEEL INTO 1 BOWL AND GRATED GRAPEFRUIT PEEL INTO THE OTHER. COVER AND REFRIGERATE BOTH SYRUPS OVERNIGHT.

STRAIN PISCO INTO PITCHER. DISCARD PINEAPPLE.

STRAIN BOTH SYRUPS INTO PISCO. ADD LEMON JUICE; STIR TO BLEND. FILL 12 SMALL GLASSES WITH ICE & PUNCH. GARNISH WITH PINEAPPLE LEAVES.

BLOOD ORANGE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

• 1/4 cup crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)
• 1 1/2 cups strained fresh blood orange juice (from about 6 oranges)
• 1 750-ml bottle chilled brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine
• 8 blood orange slices (optional)

SPOON 1 1/2 TEASPOONS CREME DE CASSIS INTO EACH OF 8 CHAMPAGNE FLUTES. ADD 3 TABLESPOONS JUICE TO EACH GLASS. FILL EACH GLASS WITH CHAMPAGNE, THEN STIR GENTLY. GARNISH COCKTAILS WITH SLICE OF BLOOD ORANGE.

MULLED RED WINE

• 8 whole cloves
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 4 (3- by 1/2-inch) strips fresh lemon zest
• 4 (4- by 1/2-inch) strips fresh orange zest
• 4 cups dry red wine (from two 750-ml bottles)
• 1/2 cup kirsch or other cherry-flavored brandy
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

PUT CLOVES, PEPPERCORNS, AND ZEST ON CHEESECLOTH, THEN TIE CLOSED TO FORM A BAG.

COMBINE WINE, KIRSCH, WATER, SUGAR, CINNAMON STICK, VANILLA BEAN, AND CHEESECLOTH BAG IN A 4-QUART SAUCEPAN AND BRING TO A BOIL, STIRRING.

SIMMER FOR 10 MINUTES AND SERVE WARM.

*****ALL RECIPES AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF EPICURIOUS.COM*****