4 Cocktails for Celebrating Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year, also called the Chinese New Year, is a time to honor prosperity, abundance, and togetherness. All around the world, families gather at home, and crowds gather in the streets to watch parades and partake in other celebrations. And, of course, plenty of cocktails are added to the festivities.

Traditionally celebrated by billions of people from China, Vietnam, Korea, and other Asian countries, Lunar New Year comes with a rich cultural history—and plenty of flavorful inspiration for your festive beverages.

Before celebrating Lunar New Year, you’ll want to come prepared with some cocktails inspired by traditional flavors. Here are four Lunar New Year cocktails you can try at home.

#1 Orange Blossom

The Orange Blossom cocktail might have gotten its start during American Prohibition. However, it’s still an excellent Chinese New Year cocktail.¹ Celebrate Chinese culture and enjoy the dry taste of gin and the bright, citrusy flavor of fresh orange juice. A splash of iced lemonade vodka gives this cocktail a delicious extra kick, the perfect nod to a holiday about money, good fortune, and coming together.

The ingredients for the Orange Blossom cocktail are:

1-ounce gin
1-ounce sweet vermouth
1-ounce fresh orange juice, freshly squeezed
1-2 SLIQ Spirited Ice Vodka Lemonade Pops

Shake the ingredients together in a cocktail mixer with the SLIQ ice pops. Then, strain it into a glass and serve. It’s as easy as that.

#2 Cherry Moon

As its name suggests, the Lunar New Year is celebrated according to the Lunar calendar, which follows the phases of the moon. For that reason, no list of Lunar New Year cocktails would be complete without a cocktail named for the Earth’s night sky companion.

This Chinese New Year, the Cherry Moon is the way to go. You’ll need the following ingredients:²

1-ounce cherry vodka
3 ½ ounces lemon-lime soda
½ ounce grenadine

This recipe is so simple, it doesn’t even require a cocktail shaker. Simply pour the vodka over some ice pops and add soda and grenadine, and you’re all set to sip.

SLIQ’s alcohol ice pops are the perfect addition if you want a Chinese New Year cocktail that makes an impact. Made with seven times distilled vodka, 1 or 2 SLIQ Spirited Ice Vodka Cranberry & Grapefruit Pops are the perfect way to put a chilly cranberry spin on the Cherry Moon.

#3 Lemon Lychee Martini

The lychee fruit has been a staple of Southeastern Asian diets for centuries, and it’s not hard to see why.³ With a flavor profile that’s fragrant, sweet, and acidic, it’s delicious on its own or as an ingredient in a number of dishes. In some parts of the world, it’s also prized for its medicinal properties.⁴

Lychee’s status as an iconic Southeast Asian fruit, with a splash of sweet lemonade vodka, makes the Lemon Lychee Martini a perfect Chinese New Year cocktail. Another reason? It’s simply constructed but packs a flavorful punch.

Because the Lunar New Year is all about togetherness, this recipe is enough to make two lemon lychee martinis. So gather your closest companion and the following ingredients:⁵

4 SLIQ Spirited Ice Vodka Lemonade Pops
4 ounces lychee juice
Splash of vermouth

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail mixer and shake until well combined. Pour the drink into two martini glasses and serve.

#4 Dynasty Margarita

China is known for its succession of ruling emperors known as dynasties, where the name of this Chinese New Year cocktail comes from. It combines the sugary sweetness of a margarita with the aromatic spice of ginger and the acrid taste of lychee. The result is a cocktail you can sip on for the entire 15 days it takes to adequately celebrate the Lunar New Year.⁶

For the Dynasty Margarita, assemble the following ingredients:⁷

2 SLIQ Spirited Ice Agave Classic Margarita Pops
½ ounce orange liquor
¼ ounce elderflower liqueur
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
¼ ounce ginger syrup
3 fresh lychees

To make the drink, combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and mix well. Strain the mixture and pour it into a margarita glass with a salted rim. Add a lime wedge for a garnish, and you’re ready to join the Lunar New Year festivities.

Raise a Glass to the New Year with SLIQ

When you’re celebrating the Lunar New Year, you have plenty of opportunities to craft delectable Lunar New Year cocktails. But some nights, you may just want to kick back with your favorite premixed drink. On those nights, reach for a SLIQ.

SLIQ’s alcohol ice pops are an easy and refreshing way to enjoy premium mixed drinks at home. Available in daiquiri ice pops, whiskey highball ice pops, vodka slushie ice pops, and frozen margarita pops in a variety of mouthwatering flavors, they’re fun, frozen, and ready to go when you are. All you need to do is pop one open.

This New Year, discover a new way to chill with SLIQ.

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