Kir Imperial New Year's Cocktail Recipe

The perfect New Year's cocktail should be simple to assemble, elegant, and celebratory. The Kir Imperial ticks all of these boxes, making it the ideal way to toast in the new year. This cocktail is the equally classy twin of the classic Kir Royale cocktail — one you may well have heard of — which is a mixture of Champagne and crème de cassis. The Kir is in fact a variety of a drink that originated in France and was named after a former mayor. This form of drink is comprised typically of sparkling wines combined with a fruity liqueur, creating a wonderfully easy, slightly sweet, and bubbly drink that is ideal for a celebration.

The Kir Imperial uses a raspberry-based liqueur, Chambord, instead of the cassis that is used in a Kir Royale. Garnished simply with fresh raspberries, this cocktail assembled by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye is a wonderfully balanced drink that will be enjoyed by everyone and is ideal for champagne lovers. Not too sweet and not too dry, this Kir Imperial is the perfect accompaniment to your New Year's celebrations and will add a touch of sophistication to your festivities.

To create this Kir Imperial New Year's cocktail recipe, you will first need to gather the ingredients. You will want Chambord or a similar, raspberry-flavored liqueur, chilled champagne, and fresh raspberries, to garnish.

Pour the Chambord into a champagne flute.

Top with the chilled Champagne.

Garnish with raspberries before serving.

With so few ingredients, you may be wondering how much this Kir Imperial cocktail recipe can be adapted to suit different tastes. There are actually a number of variations on the Kir cocktail, so you can experiment and add your personal preference to this drink as you like. For a slightly more affordable version, why not swap out the champagne for a Prosecco or other sparkling wine? Or, if you prefer to keep your drinks bubble-free, a Kir can be served with a simple white wine instead.

This recipe uses Chambord to add a sweet, raspberry taste to the drink. However, if raspberry is not your flavor of choice, there are many different liqueurs available to you. The Kir Royale uses crème de cassis in place of the Chambord, or you can create a Kir Poiré with the addition of a pear liqueur. Kir Péche is also a lovely option that uses peach schnapps or liqueur, giving the cocktail a delicious peach flavor — this could perhaps be considered the older sibling of the classic peach bellini. The sky is the limit when mixing fruity liqueurs with sparkling wine!

Changing the garnish is a simple way to add variety to this elegant drink. Adding different fruits, edible flowers, and even a sprig of fresh herbs are all great ways to not only change the visual impact of the drink but its flavor, too.

This cocktail is the perfect option for a celebratory party drink, combining the theatrics and glamour of popping champagne bottles with the simplicity of its preparation and its elegant, sophisticated taste. To enhance this experience and to wow your New Year's party guests, there are a few steps you can take when serving this drink.

To maintain the temperature of the Kir Imperial once it is poured, you will want to make sure, firstly, that your champagne is kept chilled. However, we recommend you also chill the champagne flutes or wine glasses in which you plan to serve the cocktail to keep the drink cool and refreshing for your guests. The glasses that you choose when serving this cocktail will also make an impact on the resulting drink. While flutes are the go-to option when serving sparkling wines since they allow the drink to hold its effervescence for longer, other experts recommend wider-rimmed glasses to allow the aroma of the wine to open up more.

Finally, a New Year's party wouldn't be complete without nibbles, and this Kir Imperial is an ideal option to serve alongside appetizers and hors d'oeuvres.