The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is helping you get a head start on your party planning by sharing recipes for a number of their signature cocktails served at properties worldwide.  Choose from colorful martinis, exotic cocktails, special Champagne toasts, or even enjoy dessert in a glass!  And for any young ones at your celebration, there is even a non-alcoholic recipe included in the list.

Green Tea White Chocolate Martini

This recipe is courtesy of 10 Arts by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia and was created by Steven Diaz.  This festive martini would be a great addition to any New Year’s Eve party!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. green tea mint infused Godiva White
• 2 oz. vanilla vodka
• 1 oz. white crème de cocoa
• House made green tea mint simple syrup

Procedure:

Swirl the green tea syrup and green tea mint infused Godiva White around a martini glass and add vanilla vodka, white crème de cocoa garnish it with a strip of white chocolate.

Midnight Martini

This special martini was created by Melissa Rivera from The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.  If you are spending New Year’s Eve somewhere cold, this will definitely help transport you to the warm beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ingredients:

• ½ oz. crème de cassis
• 1 oz. cream of coconut
• 2 oz. Sky vodka

Procedure:

Before mixing all the ingredients, rim the martini glass with coconut flakes to resemble stars.  Add ingredients to mixing glass, and strain and serve in martini glass.

Pecan Pie Martini

This delectable dessert in a glass comes from The Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, Georgia and would be a great addition to your Christmas Day menu too!

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Captain Morgan special rum
• ¾ oz. Castnes peanut liqueur
• ½ oz. Amaretto
• ½ oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
• ½ oz. Godiva caramel liqueur
• 1 oz. cream

Procedure:

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with candied pecans and rimmed with sweet toasted pecan crusts.

The Sparkling Melange

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.’s Degrees Bar & Lounge is the location that serves this incredible option for a one-of-a-kind New Year’s Eve toast.

Ingredients:

• Veuve Clicquot Champagne
• St Germain Elderflower liquer (from France)

Procedure:

Mix and serve up in champagne flute.

Sparkler of the House

The “Sparkler of the House” is another innovative creation from The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.  This is served in Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert and was created by General Manager Amy Troutmiller.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. of persimmon puree
• 3 dashes of cinnamon bitters in a flute
• Prosecco

Procedure:

Add persimmon puree and 3 dashes of cinnamon bitters in a champagne flute glass.  Fill glass with Prosecco.

New Year’s Toast on a Cloudy Sky

For any underage or non-drinkers at your New Year’s Eve party, check out this non-alcoholic concoction courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.

Ingredients:

• ½ oz. vanilla ice cream base
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 4 oz. ginger ale

Procedure:

Add ingredients to and shake lightly.  Pour over a pilsner glass and garnish with slices of star fruit for a perfect Caribbean flourish.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Unlike the “New Year’s Toast on a Cloudy Sky”, this cocoa packs an alcoholic punch!  The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado brings this recipe that is sure to warm up the big kids at your party!

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. vanilla vodka
• l oz. Grand Marnier

Procedure:

Mix together and top off with baby marshmallows.

Black Eyed Pea Cocktail

Along with the aforementioned “Pecan Pie Martini”, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta showcases another Southern specialty.  Try serving the “Black Eyed Pea Cocktail” made with black vodka to bring some Southern flair!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Absolut Black Vodka
• 1 oz. dark chocolate liqueur
• Drop of dark chocolate

Procedure:

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Place a drop of dark chocolate in the middle of a glass.  For the final Southern touch, garnish with five black eyed peas on a cocktail stick.

The Ritz 75

This specialty cocktail comes from Spago by Wolfgang Puck located at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado.  Their bartender and local celebrity, Scotty Moises, is the one who created the local delight.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. organic Colorado Cap Rock gin
• ¼ oz. lemon juice
• l/8 oz. simple syrup with ice

Procedure:

Shake and strain into a champagne flute, top with The Ritz-Carlton champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist.

If these heavenly concoctions were not enough, The Ritz-Carlton also shared some of their truly international cocktails.  Transport yourself to Moscow, Ireland, or even Beijing with these exciting drinks.

Snegurochka’s Winter Passion

The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow’s O2 Bar serves “Snegurochka’s Winter Passion”, which was created by Senior Bartender Artiom Emelstein.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Mandarin vodka
• 1 oz. Bombay Sapphire
• ½ oz. Martini Gold
• ½ oz. 02 thyme syrup

Procedure:

Pour, stir and strain all ingredients into a chilled martini glass and top off with a Mandarin orange.

The Celt Cocktail

Kevin Bunick, a bartender at the Sugar Loaf Lounge inside The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, Ireland, created this Irish delight.  Erin Go Bragh!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey
• ¾ oz. Irish Mist Liquor
• 1 ¼ oz. apple juice
• l fresh apple
• ½ vanilla pod

Procedure:

Place apple and vanilla in the shaker and mix.  Add whiskey, Irish mist, and apple juice and shake vigorously. Serve up in a martini glass poured through a double strainer. Top off with apple cider and garnish with sliced fresh apple.

Asian Mao-Tai

The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing Financial Street serves the “Asian Mao-Tai” that was created by bartender Jessica Yuan.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. herbal Maotai
• ½ oz. Aperol
• ¼ oz. orange juice
• ¼ oz. syrup

Procedure:

The trick to this Chinese drink is infusing Chinese liquor, or baiju, with local flowering herbs. Then add to a freshly pressed whole orange with the aromatic bite of Aperol, stirred with ice cubes into a glass.

What are you planning to drink for your New Year’s Eve Celebration?  If we can track down some of these ingredients in Taiwan, we might just give a few of these recipes a try for our small rooftop party this year!