In the world of Even the Faithful, New Year’s Eve isn’t loud. It’s a night of lamplight and snow-muted streets, the radio low in the background, a final drink poured not for celebration but for reflection. The year ends with a pause rather than fireworks.
In the 1940s and ’50s Midwest, New Year’s often meant staying home, especially for married couples, young families, or those whose lives didn’t lend themselves to champagne-soaked glamour. A good glass, carefully mixed, was enough. Something bracing, something bittersweet. Something that acknowledged the year had been lived.
These vintage-inspired cocktails and their non-alcoholic counterparts are meant for exactly that kind of evening. No countdown required.
Hop Toad
A lesser-known but deeply midcentury cocktail, the Hop Toad combines citrus and bitterness with a sharp, unsentimental edge, perfect for closing out a complicated year.
Alcoholic version:
½ oz lime juice
¾ oz Apricot brandy
- ¾ oz light rum
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Adapted from Mr. Boston: All-New Official Bartender’s and Party Guide.
Non-alcoholic version:
Non-alcoholic rum
Lime juice
Apricot puree or apricot nectar
Knickerbocker
An old cocktail with 19th-century origins that remained popular well into the mid-20th century. It feels festive without being showy.
Alcoholic version:
1/4 tsp. sweet vermouth
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1 1/2 oz gin
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Non-alcoholic version:
Non-alcoholic gin
Aperol Spritz
Though Italian in origin, the Aperol spritz found its way into postwar American cocktail culture as travel and tastes broadened. Light, bittersweet, and contemplative. Not just for summer evenings.
Alcoholic version:
3 oz prosecco
2 oz Aperol
1 oz soda water
Build over ice in a wine glass and garnish with an orange slice.
Non-alcoholic version:
Non-alcoholic prosecco or sparkling white grape juice
Non-alcoholic bitter aperitif (or orange juice + a dash of gentian or bitters)
Soda water
French 75
A classic associated with celebration, but when made properly, it’s crisp rather than indulgent. A reminder that restraint can still feel ceremonial.
Alcoholic version:
1 oz gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Champagne to top
Shake the first three with ice, strain into a flute, and top with champagne.
Non-alcoholic version:
Lemon juice
Simple syrup
Non-alcoholic sparkling wine
Sloe Gin Fizz
Once a staple of American bars, the sloe gin fizz is gently sweet and deeply nostalgic—something that feels right with snow outside and nowhere else to be.
Alcoholic version:
2 oz sloe gin
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Soda water
Shake everything but soda with ice, strain into a glass, and top with soda.
Non-alcoholic version:
Berry syrup (blackberry or plum work well)
Lemon juice
Simple syrup
Soda water
New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to sparkle to matter. No matter the decade, there’s something grounding about closing the year quietly, glass in hand, lights low, the future waiting but not yet demanding anything of you.
Pour something thoughtful. Sit with the moment. Let the year end gently.
Photo by Alexander Naglestad on Unsplash