Celebrate the end of the year ( and decade!) with my New Year's Golden Tiki Cocktail. Or as I also call it a : gold rum lychee champagne cocktail.

I was trying to decide if I wanted my last recipe of the year to be a cocktail or a cake. Something glitzy and glamorous and over the top. Something to end 2019 in style. And with a Hawaiian touch to it. Of course.

I baked a ton of cookies this month with four new recipes on my blog, and 6 more I am saving for next December. Couldn't get them all blogged this month. I decided to go with a champagne cocktail instead of another baked item, give my oven a break. For at least a week. 

There are a lot of good luck foods for New years, beans, peas, noodles, pork, fish, grapes etc etc. I searched for a few lists of lucky fruits for the new years and both lychee and pineapple made the list. Lychee because they are a round fruit ( similar to grapes) and supposedly resemble coins and will bring prosperity into the new year. I don't know if this really works, but it's worth a shot. Can't find lychees or lychee juice? Feel free to substitute grapes and white grape juice. 

I love a fun champagne cocktail and I think the flavor combinations for these fizzy libations are endless. I have done so many variations over the years from using just a fruit juice and champagne ( or prosecco), to using other liquors (rum, vodka), to adding in sorbets or jams. Its is even fun to make a champagne cocktail out of a classic cocktail such as an Old Fashioned. The possibilities really are endless. 

For a casual brunch I am all for the juice and bubbly combo, for a celebration or New Year's Eve I go big with my cocktail creation. This one here combines Koloa Kaua'i Gold rum with an orange liqueur, pineapple and lychee juices, cinnamon simple syrup, tiki bitters and topped with prosecco. The base ingredients of this tiki cocktail can easily be prepped ahead of time for multiple drinks for a party. Keep chilled until ready to add to glasses and top with bubbly.

I made this cocktail a few ways since I know some of the ingredients might be a little harder to source so close to the holiday. A few notes about the recipe:

• Lychee juice - I use Ceres brand. I have found it in several stores in my city ( Sprouts, World Market, International grocery stores) as well as Amazon. Amazon has several brands. If you can't find Lychee juice you can use the syrup from the can of lychees
• Lychees in Syrup. I use Arroy-D brand. Available in any well stocked market Asian section, international grocery or Amazon. If you can't find lychee juice sub the syrup from the container. The drink will be a little on the sweeter side with using the syrup instead of the juice. 
• Tiki bitters. I am a huge fan of bitters in cocktails and Bittermen's Tiki bitters is one of my fave. You can find it at any well stocked liquor store ( Total Wine here in Vegas) or Amazon. If you can't find them you can substitute aromatic or citrus bitters. I tried the cocktail with all three and all three work well.
• Cinnamon syrup. I make my own homemade cinnamon simple syrup. Recipe and directions are in the recipe notes. You can use a store bought kind if you like. Cinnamon syrup is a staple in many tiki cocktails.  The hint of spice works really well with these drinks.

Cheers and have a safe and happy new years!