Drinks ideas to get your NYE party fuelled
Oh, you thought it was all over? After all the carolling, gifting and tree-ing (not to mention the eating and drinking) of the actual Christmassy bit, it feels almost cruel to have to do it all again, and on – in my opinion – one of the most stressful nights of the year: New Year’s Eve,The Guardian’s journalism is independent,We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link,Learn more,If you’re not paying over the odds and going out, with long queues and stressed-out staff, you’re the stressed-out one yourself.
“Is everyone good for drinks?” “When was the last time anyone saw [insert child’s name here]?” And then there’s the clean glass matrix, where no one can remember whose is whose and you’re caught in an endless cycle of washing-up.The antidote to all of the above is, for me, just to stay in with your immediates and a bottle of something nice.Five guests maximum.I don’t like going into the New Year already tense – what hope will I have for 2026 if I’m going into it with high blood pressure and flat wine in a warm glass?Obviously, the done thing here is sparkling wine, and there are a few options out there.Champagne is the most obvious one.
The sort you’ll find in the supermarket will have “NV” on the label, meaning it’s a blend of vintages, so the wine is classified “non-vintage”.Unless you’ve had a particularly liquid 2025, this is the sort of thing you’ll want if you’re planning on watering more than three people.If the champagne has a year on the label, meanwhile, it’s “vintage”: more expensive, yes, but also more expressive of a time and place for the producer.How about prosecco? If you’re already a fan, you’ll know exactly the one you want to drink.But if you don’t think prosecco’s for you, on account of its usual sweetness, I have a good work-around: to find a dry prosecco, look for bottles with “brut” or “extra brut” on the label, and perhaps you’ll find something more pleasurable.
And this will be the last time this year I recommend lambrusco, from Emilia-Romagna, the most easily recognisable versions of which are a deep, inky pink with a candyfloss foam (I did a whole column on the stuff earlier this year).Try it with cured meat.This time last year, I went all in on recommending soju, a Korean drink distilled from rice and often fruit-flavoured, for a party.I still stand by that, not least because it’s designed to be shared between friends.No need to neck it, though, because it’s incredibly pleasant to sip.
Or mix it with a light beer, such as rice beer or lager, to create a lightly flavoured carbonated drink.Currently, my favourites for this are peach and plum, but who knows what next year might bring?Jinro plum soju £6 (350ml) Morrisons, 13%.Get the party started with a tasty plum soju.Fresh but fleshy.Pour yourself a shot and top up with beer for a lightly flavoured lager.
Bollinger Special Cuvée 007 James Bond Edition £52.95 The Whisky Exchange, 12%.Sure, why not? The usual reliable Bollinger NV in a campy, James Bond-themed package.Love it.Tesco Finest Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG £10 Tesco, 11%.
Something to convert the prosecco scrooges in your life,Drier than most, with apple and pear notes,Secco Lambrusco di Modena DOC £9,59 Giordano, 11%,This has it all: good supporting tannin, fabulous acidity, and the bright red and black fruit aromas you’d expect from lambrusco.
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