Eddie Pain wants to start 2016 off on a classy note.
Rather than ringing in your new year waiting in a monster bar line or sipping Coors by someone's trash can, the bar manager thinks you should head over to Maynards Kitchen for a swinging late-night party and some serious craft cocktails.
Or, you can make them at home. Spicing up the cheap Champagne is as simple as cranberry syrup. Just cook down fresh cranberries with sugar and orange juice, strain and add to a glass of sparkling wine. It'll lend a touch of holiday sweetness to an otherwise dry affair. (Add some orange liqueur for an extra kick.)
Pain's classic Manhattan is a little more complicated, calling for infusions and barrel aging techniques to bring the flavors together. He starts the process at least a month in advance, which makes for a mellow and surprisingly light whiskey cocktail.
We also advise you to leave the Champagne sabering up to the experts. During this video, Cup Cafe restaurant manager Dale Riggins managed to slice the neck off the wine bottle without needing emergency reconstructive surgery, but she got lucky ...
When the clock strikes midnight, the question is: Will you?
Maynards is open until midnight New Year's Eve with a 10 p.m. East Coast Champagne toast. They'll serve the full menu, plus New Year's specials until 10 p.m. when they go into their new late-night menu.
Maynards Champagne cocktail
- 1 ounce cranberry/orange simple syrup
- 1 ounce of Cointreau orange liqueur
- Piper Sonoma sparkling wine
To prepare simple syrup, sautee fresh cranberries in a pan with equal parts sugar and orange juice. Set aside to cool.
Put ounce of simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ounce of Cointreau. Muddle. Add ice and shake, then strain into flute glass. Top with sparkling wine.
