Ready-to-drink cocktails popular, older mixers making a comeback
OCEAN CITY — Crossing over any of the bridges into Ocean City, visitors and locals alike are part of a dry town with plenty of spirits.
Despite being a dry island since 1909, there are plenty of stops before the town limits to stock up on liquor for a New Year’s Eve party.
Ringing in 2024 with a fanciful cocktail is possible at home and at local restaurants. Champagne, sparkling wine, and prosecco are standard and classic New Year’s Eve beverages.
Trying something different for New Year’s Eve is a great way to celebrate and test new options. Making champagne punch can be as simple as mixing frozen berries, fruit juices or additional liqueurs in a punch bowl.
For those who wish to DIY at home, Boulevard Super Liquors in Marmora has a wide selection of champagnes and prosecco.
The family-owned store has one of New Jersey’s largest temperature-controlled wine cellars and plenty of “ready-to-drink” options. Boulevard’s Facebook and Instagram pages have beverage suggestions, recipe ideas, fun facts and specials.
“The most popular [beverages] for the New Year will be champagne and [hard] seltzers from High Noon,” store manager Justin Nelson said.
Ready-to-drink canned cocktails have taken over the market in the past few years, with a simple Google search for “canned cocktails” yielding 39 million results. Canned cocktails are not just limited to vodka and tequila but also include whiskey, rum and gin, among others.
This year, the canned cocktail company High Noon introduced a tequila seltzer to its lineup in four flavors: lime, grapefruit, passionfruit, and strawberry. According to CNN, “High Noon is privately held by E.&J. Gallo Winery, that makes well-known wines such as Barefoot, Carlo Rossi and Manischewitz Kosher wine.”
For those who prefer a classic champagne toast, Circle Liquor Store in Somers Point has a wide variety of true champagne and sparkling wines from other regions of France.
“One popular option at a good value is the Cava brand from Spain,” Circle Liquor general manager Chet Malloy said. “They’re a very nice sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method but in a different climate.”
Cava is made with different grapes and has small, fine bubbles from the Cava Denominación area. It is typically rosé or white wine made from a blend of wines from different years.
A food column in the Dec. 7 edition of The Washington Post said Cava has “always existed as a well-kept secret.” The wine is considered a “reliable bubbly at an affordable price.” Chilled Cava also makes a tasty addition to a sparkling holiday punch.
Popping corks on New Year’s Eve is a time-old tradition, and the champagne options do not necessarily have to break the bank. Passion Vines in Somers Point sells champagne at a price point for everyone.
“We have champagne that starts at $30 and up to $200, with plenty of options in between,” shift manager Yvette Shaber said. “The most popular champagne brand right now is Veuve Clicquot.”
Other popular bubbly options include Blanc de Blanc, Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon. For those opting for a classic wine pairing with dinner, Passion Vines has a sale on mix-and-match bottles of wine. Purchasing six bottles saves 5% and 12 bottles saves 15%.
“Everyone wants to go [straight] to the bubbly, and if you tend toward the sweeter end there are several bubbly type moscatos,” Shaber said. “Prosecco is nicely priced. You can usually get a bottle under $20, so that brings a lot of people to the prosecco table.”
La Marca prosecco is a popular brand found in most stores. It has notes of green apple and peach and pairs well with a sweet and salty charcuterie board or dessert. It also pairs well with orange juice if mimosas on New Year’s Day are your choice of beverage.
For those who want to take shots at midnight, Shaber recommends whiskey, tequila, vodka and even schnapps “if you like the flavor.”
Shaber said Tip Top Proper Cocktails or On The Rocks are excellent choices for people who do not want to open a whole bottle of wine but want a small but complete cocktail. The canned drinks vary from Manhattans, espresso martinis, margaritas and negronis to gin martinis and daiquiris.
“It’s a full cocktail so you don’t have to be a bartender,” she added.
For those looking to start the day and keep it going until the ball drops, Yesterday’s Creekside Tavern in Marmora kicks off the all-day party with the Philadelphia Eagles game at 1 p.m. There is a $35 prix fixe menu with three courses for dinner.
“We will have The Company Band playing with no cover charge, which is rare to find on New Year’s Eve,” general manager Chuck Thompson said. “We will also have a balloon drop and a complimentary glass of champagne for a toast at midnight.
The Deauville Inn has a five-course prix fixe dining experience, with choices of the executive chef for $85 per person. A five-course wine pairing or caviar and champagne course can upgrade the dining experience. Seating times are available at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
For sober or non-drinkers, New Year’s Eve does not have to be without fun. Nonalcoholic drinks are very trendy among millennials and Gen Zers, who look for products that lack alcohol, whether intentionally or done through a removal process.
“We have low-alcoholic and non-alcoholic selections [at Passion Vines] for those people who want to stay sober,” Shaber said. “We respect that because they help drive.”
Zero-proof cocktails and other non-alcoholic options are sold in similar formats as the alcoholic counterparts and often are available in liquor stores. Ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails allow non-drinkers to be included in social drinking, and it is also an excellent option for designated drivers on New Year’s Eve.
Creating mocktails at home is also a great way to ring in the new year, as many recipes and hacks are available online. Champagne punch can be made without alcohol when the wine and liqueurs are exchanged for lemon or orange juice and with club soda, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda for a sweeter taste.
Another winter favorite that can be made at home is Wassail, which is a traditional Yuletide beverage. Wassail was a greeting often associated with Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve. It is made from hot mulled cider and typically includes apple cider, hard liquor, cinnamon and cloves. For an alcoholic version, Boulevard Super Liquors has a Wassail recipe on Facebook/Instagram, including bourbon or dark rum.
For those with home bar carts, making vintage-style drinks can be a joyful holiday option. Malloy said old fashions and Manhattans are making a comeback as a go-to drink option.
“It’s a funny thing, you might not have heard people talking about old fashions for years, but now it’s a thing,” he said. “People are really enjoying bourbon-based cocktails and buying different varieties. Some nights it’s Maker’s Mark, others it’s Knob Creek.”
If there is any leftover eggnog from Christmas, adding a dash of bourbon is also a great way to kick off the new year.
Circle Liquor Store has sales across all store categories. During the last week of the year, Malloy said the champagne and sparkling wine aisles are busy daily.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Sentinel