Ball Drop Shot

Honey whiskey for midnight — the Times Square ball drop the New York Times inaugurated December 31, 1907, suspended only in 1942 and 1943 for wartime blackout.

The Ball Drop Shot is directly tied to one of the most recognized New Year's Eve traditions in the world: the Times Square ball drop in New York City. The tradition began on December 31, 1907, when the New York Times commissioned a special illuminated ball to celebrate the opening of their new headquarters building, with the first ball weighing 700 pounds and covered in one hundred 25-watt lightbulbs. The ball has been lowered from the roof of One Times Square at midnight every year since then, with the sole exceptions of 1942 and 1943 when wartime blackout regulations prevented the display. The event has been broadcast globally since the rise of mass media television in the 1950s, making it a universal symbol of New Year's celebration. The Ball Drop Shot is designed to be consumed precisely when the ball reaches the bottom — midnight — serving as the ceremonial first drink of the new year, with whiskey honoring the American tradition of ringing in the year with a warming glass.