New Year's Old Fashioned Recipe

Measure and combine

In a large mixing pitcher or bowl, pour 6 tablespoons Aperol, 2 tablespoons Cointreau, 1 cup fresh pomegranate juice, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons simple syrup.

Chill and taste

Stir the mixture thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: add up to 1 tablespoon more simple syrup if too tart, or an extra 1 teaspoon lemon juice if too sweet.

Fill glasses

Place a large ice cube or a few regular ice cubes into each of four lowball glasses (or flute/coupe if you prefer more sparkle exposure).

Divide base

Pour the cocktail base evenly among the four glasses (about 3 tablespoons / 1.5 ounces per glass).

Top with sparkling wine

Carefully top each glass with chilled sparkling wine, dividing the bottle evenly (about 3–4 ounces / roughly 90–120 ml per glass) so the drink is effervescent but not overflowing.

Optional bitters

If using, add 1 dash of Angostura bitters to each glass to add a subtle bitter-spicy complexity (skip if you prefer brighter, fruit-forward flavors).

Float a teaspoon of pomegranate arils in each glass or sprinkle them on top so they sink slowly and add visual color and a little texture.

Twist an orange peel over each drink to express oils, then drop the twist into the glass as garnish.

Serve immediately while sparkling wine is lively. Optionally provide a small spoon for guests to scoop pomegranate arils.

You can mix the Aperol/Cointreau/pomegranate/lemon/simple syrup base up to 24 hours ahead and keep chilled in a sealed container. Hold the sparkling wine chilled and combine just before serving for best effervescence.