Upholding Traditions: 5 Festive Cocktails For Chinese New Year

What are some good festive cocktails for the Chinese New Year?

  1. Dynasty Margarita 
  2. Lucky Tiger
  3. Orange Blossom
  4. Mandarin Mojito 
  5. Lychee Nut Cocktail 

Chinese New Year is just around the corner! 2021 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac and the festival falls on February 12. Like any event in the calendar, there’s always a good reason to drink cocktails for Chinese New Year

In the Chinese language, alcohol (酒 – jiu) is a homophone for long-lasting. Traditionally, people drink alcohol for long-lasting prosperity, happiness, friendships, and longevity. It is believed that alcohol can protect from bad luck as well. 

Best believe you’ll want to look for an online liquor store in the Philippines to help you celebrate this must-awaited occasion. So if you’re ready to cheers to the festivities and bring luck along throughout the rest of your year, check out these five Chinese New Year cocktails! 

Dynasty Margarita

A close up of a margarita

The Dynasty Margarita embodies the Chinese New Year perfectly with traditional ingredients like lychee and ginger. Due to its name, it will remind you of the hereditary monarchical regimes of the Chinese dynasties throughout history. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, it is delectable on the palate because of the citrus sweetness of margarita. 

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Patron Silver
  • .5 oz Patron Citronge Orange
  • .25 oz St-Germain
  • .75 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • .25 oz ginger syrup
  • 3 fresh or canned lychees
  • Salt on the rim
  • Lime twist for garnish 
  • Ice

Directions:

  • Rim the glass with salt.
  • Put lychees in a cocktail shaker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker with ice and shake hard to combine.
  • Chill. 
  • Double strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass.
  • Garnish with a lime twist.

Lucky Tiger

Hennessy is a common beverage found at high-end Chinese banquets. As the world’s most popular cognac, it is full-bodied yet smooth with notes of fruit, spice, and vanilla. This is the main alcohol component of the Lucky Tiger. For this cocktail, the fresh pomelo juice and ginger liqueur add a citrus punch to the well-loved Hennessy.

Ingredients: 

  • Ice
  • 2 oz freshly squeezed pomelo juice
  • 1 oz Hennessy Cognac
  • .25 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

Directions:

  • In a shaker with ice, mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
  • Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass
  • Serve while cold and enjoy. 

Orange Blossom

Orange blossom cocktails

Another cocktail that offers citrusy flavors and a hint of luck is the Orange Blossom. According to the Chinese legend, orange is a fruit that’s highly auspicious of luck. Chinese people love its brimming golden color and believe it brings happiness and wealth.    

The Orange Bloom features gin and sweet vermouth. Both dominate the taste while adding a strong citrus flavor. Any gin can be added to this cocktail, however, the Bombay Sapphire proves to be the best choice. 

In its distinctive blue bottle, it contains ten hand-selected botanicals such as licorice and cassia bark from China, coriander, angelica root, juniper berries, lemon peel, almond, and many more. All these ingredients heighten the ripe citrus flavors of the Orange Bloom cocktail. 

It is a refreshing beverage you shouldn’t miss out on for this Chinese New Year! 

Ingredients: 

Directions: 

  • Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice.
  • Shake until well-chilled. 
  • Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  • Garnish with an orange wedge.

Mandarin Mojito 

Similar to most white rum cocktails, the Mandarin Mojito can have a sweet and subtle taste. Its fresh orange/lime juice, sugar/sugar cane syrup, mint leaves, and rum blend perfectly to offer a refreshing flavor. It has the perfect balance of spice, sweetness, and mint.

Among all the white rums, Bacardi is undoubtedly the most popular brand. What are you waiting for? Grab Clink’s Bacardi Rum Two Three Pack and create all your favorite cocktail drinks anytime. 

Buy 1 bottle each of Bacardi Superior 750ml, Bacardi Gold 750ml, and Bacardi Black 750ml and get this bundle that includes a Bacardi foldable duffle bag, 1 Bacardi Rum Two Three Shaker, 1 Bacardi Rum Two Three Cocktail Menu, and 2 Bacardi Mojito Glasses. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Bacardi Rum
  • 2 cups of orange/lime juice 
  • 1 cup sugar/sugar cane syrup
  • 8 oz. mint leaves
  • 1 cup sparkling water 
  • 1 to ½ cups of rum adjust to taste

Directions:

  • In a shaker filled with ice, combine the rum and add ice.
  • Top with orange/lime juice.
  • Strain it into a cocktail glass.
  • Garnish with mint leaves. 

This cocktail will surely remind you of the tea Chinese people like to drink because of the herbal notes. It is minty and refreshing, perfect for serving a large group of people

Lychee Nut Cocktail
Lychee nut cocktail

Going for a more thematic cocktail, the Lychee Nut is your drink of choice for Chinese New Year. The lychee is a fruit native to China and symbolizes happiness and good fortune. According to ancient Chinese culture, the lychee is also a mythological representation of romance, beauty, and good luck.

Ingredients: 

  • 30 ml Vodka
  • 45 ml Lychee Liqueur
  • 1 dash of Lychee Juice
  • Strawberries for garnish

Directions:

  • In a shaker with ice, mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
  • Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass.
  • Garnish with a strawberry.
  • Serve while cold and enjoy!

As the main star of this cocktail, the lychee offers a fruity and refreshingly sweet flavor with just the right kick — perfect for serving to those who prefer light alcoholic drinks. On the nose, it has a pleasing nutty and flowery scent. Plus, it’s easy to make! 

Key Takeaway

Don’t forget to turn up the fun and serve these cocktails for the Chinese New Year. For the most-awaited festivity on February 12, please the crowd and even bring a bit of luck! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

As the premier online liquor store in the Philippines, we’re ready to cater to all your alcohol needs! From wine, beer, vodka, gin, tequila, cognac, brandy, to even extras — we have it in-store and can deliver it in 90 minutes right to your doorstep. Click here to start shopping for the best alcohol deals and bundles or click here for delivery FAQs.  

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