New Year's Eve Champagne Alternatives

While many may find the festive spirit of the holidays in the effervescent, golden elixir that is Champagne, some may choose to ring in the New Year with something less intoxicating. Some alternatives to the sparkling white wine commonly referred to as Champagne may find their way into your celebration. Whether you are trying to include your children in the merriment or if you have loved ones that choose not to indulge, these beverages may offer you some non-alcoholic options for New Year's Eve. Champagne alternatives are mostly varied forms of bottled fruit juice.

Sparkling Apple Juice: An excellent choice for holiday toasting, this crisp, aromatic champagne alternative is refreshing with a slight bite from the carbonation. These juices will vary in color from pale to deep yellow and are the most visually convincing champagne alternative. They go well with lighter party fare like cheeses and snack crackers.

Sparkling Apple Cider: This is a heavier version of the above. While a few of these beverages come in a "hard" version, for the most part they are merely carbonated cider which, in my experience, seems to lighten up the almost chewy mouth feel of these drinks. The stronger flavor of the cider pairs it nicely with heavier party foods, such as Summer Sausage and smoky cheeses.

Sparkling White Grape Juice: There are several varieties of this beverage available at your local market. Perhaps the easiest to come by, this champagne alternative is simply the un-fermented version of sparkling white wine! Many feel this is the most favorable non-alcoholic option for New Year's Eve as it strikes so closely to the original. Again, colors vary with the variety of grape as well as the manufacturer's processing methods, but flavor, for the most part is pretty standard. As a beverage, this juice is crisp and refreshing with a thin mouth feel and fruity finish. It pairs well with most holiday fare, from smoked turkey legs to snack crackers.

Ginger Ale: For those with a taste for something with bite, one might consider ginger ale their favorite non-alcoholic option for New Year's Eve. This champagne alternative is a sparkling non-alcoholic ginger beer, similar to root beer or sarsaparilla. It has a stronger flavor than most clear soft drinks and a stronger bite with a crisp, spicy finish. It pairs nicely with most holiday foods including nachos and hot wings. While most ginger ale aficionados will lay claim to the more obscure brands like Vernor's or Schweppes, I feel that a milder, more widely accepted ginger ale such as Canada Dry fits the bill as my non-alcoholic option for New Year's Eve.

Wassail: This warmed, mulled brew, made from cider, fruit juice and spices is perhaps the oldest non-alcoholic option for New Year's Eve. Recipes vary from family to family, some including orange juice, pineapple and floating maraschino cherries. Others are simpler, made from cider, mulled with an orange half, studded with cloves. Most are served warm and have held a place in holiday traditions for centuries. For those interested, there are alcoholic versions of this champagne alternative. Recipes are readily available online. Wassail has a flavor and mouth feel that are hard to categorize due to the myriad variations in preparation. This writer's Wassail experiences have been generally citrus and cider flavor with a slightly heavy, spicy finish. This drink is great as a warm up after being outdoors in this festive climate, its aroma and spiciness seeping deep into chilled bodies. Think comfort food when pairing holiday fare with Wassail.

Holiday Punch: At some point, all of us have enjoyed a version of this easy party beverage. As a non-alcoholic option for New Year's Eve, this is an obvious choice for anyone wishing to include younger family members in the festivities. This champagne alternative has shared space with birthday cake, wedding cakes, barbecue, fried chicken and even hot wings in our house (mainly because the kids love making it almost as much as they love drinking it!). Again, recipes vary but the basic ingredients generally remain the same. A 2-liter bottle of non-carbonated fruit punch, a 2-liter bottle of ginger ale (here again, I recommend Canada Dry), a 12.5oz can of chunk pineapple in its own juice and a pint of lime sherbet. There is no hard and fast rule for combining these ingredients, but I have found that starting with the sherbet and pineapple gives you the chance to break things up a bit before adding the fruit punch, then finally the ginger ale.

There are countless non-alcoholic options for New Year's Eve, and whether you choose yours off the grocer's shelf or whip it up in your own kitchen, your champagne alternative should take its place proudly in your holiday festivities and make it easy to overlook the absence of the bubbly.