Edible Glitter for Drinks: How to Make Sparkling New Year's Eve Cocktails

Edible glitter for drinks is a very finely milled, edible pearlescent powder (often sold as sparkle dust or shimmer powder) made only from food-approved substances – typically carrier E555 combined with colourants such as iron oxides (E172). The particles are so fine that they float in liquid for a while and catch the light – that's what creates the signature "swirl" effect when you give the drink a spin.

You'll find two versions on sale, but only one of them belongs in a glass:

• Powder colour (pearlescent or metallic) – a fine metallic or pearlescent powder that disperses through the drink and creates swirls. This is the one you want for drinks.

• Edible glitter flakes (sequins) – larger flakes that tend to float on the surface or sink to the bottom. Great on cakes and sweets, but they just look like debris in a drink.

The powder doesn't dissolve in alcohol or water – it simply floats. That's why it settles over time, and why how you get it into the glass matters (more on that below).

You can tell edible glitter by its label: it must state that it's a food product or food decoration, and it must list a full ingredients breakdown with E-numbers along with the manufacturer's or importer's details. If any of that's missing, don't tip it into your drink.

What to look out for:

• "Edible" – fine, safe to eat.

• "Non-toxic" – careful, that's not the same thing. It only means the product won't harm you if accidentally swallowed, not that it's meant for eating.

• "For decoration only" – belongs on a cake, to be removed before slicing, not in a glass.

• Ingredients – since 2022, titanium dioxide (E171) has been banned as a food additive in the EU, because the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) couldn't rule out that it damages genetic material in cells (genotoxicity). Powder sold in the EU as a food product shouldn't contain it.

For a closer look at what's actually edible and what's decoration only, see our article Edible Gold and Shimmer Powder on Cakes: What You Can Eat and What's Just Decoration.

One glass of drink (150–300 ml) only needs a pinch of edible shimmer powder – roughly 1/16–1/8 teaspoon, depending on the size of the glass. More powder doesn't mean more sparkle: too much clouds the drink and the swirls merge into a milky haze.

• Champagne flute (150 ml): about 1/16 teaspoon – the bubbles make the sparkle visible instantly.

• Tall glass with tonic or lemonade (250–300 ml): no more than 1/8 teaspoon.

• Party pitcher or punch bowl (1 litre): start with around 1/2 teaspoon and add more a pinch at a time until you're happy with the effect.

Also follow the guidance on your specific powder's packaging – milling fineness varies between brands.

The trick is to first mix the powder into a little liquid to make a smooth paste, then top up with the rest of the drink. Sprinkled straight onto the surface, it clumps together and floats on top.

1. Put the powder in the bottom of the glass and pour in 1–2 tablespoons of alcohol (gin, vodka, liqueur) or syrup. Powder disperses most easily in alcohol.

2. Stir with a bar spoon until the lumps disappear – it only takes a few seconds.

3. Add ice, if you want it in the drink.

4. Slowly top up with the rest, ideally something sparkling – sparkling wine, tonic or soda water. The bubbles carry the particles upward and keep the sparkle moving longer than in a still drink.

5. Serve immediately. Within a few minutes the powder will start sinking to the bottom. That's fine – one swirl of the glass brings the sparkle right back. Feel free to tell your guests – that's half the fun.

For a big party, prep the sparkle in a small bottle ahead of time: mix the powder into a small amount of alcohol or syrup, then add a teaspoon of this "sparkle base" to each glass.

Edible glitter shows off best in clear, light-coloured, sparkling drinks: sparkling wine, prosecco and crémant, gin and tonic, clear lemonades, syrup with soda water, and iced tea.

It's less suited to milky or cloudy drinks (smoothies, pulpy juices, eggnog) – the sparkle gets lost there. For dark drinks like cola or mulled wine, reach for gold powder instead, which still shows through darker liquid.

From our recipes, these work especially well with glitter:

The simplest sparkling cocktail is a Kir Royal: blackcurrant liqueur topped up with champagne (or sparkling wine at home) instead of white wine, with a small pinch of rose-gold powder. The liqueur gives the colour, the bubbles set the sparkle swirling. Find the base recipe in Kir – the French cocktail made with blackcurrant liqueur.

Other tried-and-tested combinations:

• Sparkling wine or prosecco + gold powder – a classic for the midnight toast.

• Gin and tonic + gold powder + a slice of lemon – tonic is fizzy, so the sparkle lasts.

• Sparkling wine + cranberry or pomegranate syrup + deep red powder – ruby-red swirls.

You can make a sparkling non-alcoholic drink using homemade syrup, sparkling water and a pinch of edible powder mixed directly into the syrup – then just top up with soda water.

• Pink non-alcoholic cocktail with ginger and roses with a pinch of rose-gold powder looks just like champagne.

• Homemade lemonade and syrups are clear and tart – gold powder really shines in them.

• Elderflower cordial soda with gold powder is light, fragrant and clear.

Pick your colour based on the drink: gold for light, bubbly drinks and tonic, rose gold for pink and fruity drinks, deep red for cranberry and pomegranate cocktails.

• Gold – the most versatile. It looks like liquid gold in a glass of sparkling wine and shows through even in darker drinks.

• Rose gold – a softer, warm shade. Works well with rosé sparkling wine, Kir, strawberry and raspberry drinks.

• Deep red – this powder tints the drink itself slightly. In a clear tonic drink it creates red swirls, and in a cranberry cocktail it deepens the colour to a rich ruby.

You'll find the full range of powders, edible gold and glitter on our edible gold and glitter page.

Make a sparkling glass rim from sugar mixed with edible powder: brush the rim with lemon and press it into the mixture. This also works for drinks you don't want to add glitter to directly.

1. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of granulated sugar onto a small plate and mix in 1/4 teaspoon of powder.

2. Run a wedge of lemon or lime around the rim of the glass (for non-alcoholic drinks, a little syrup works too).

3. Turn the glass upside down and press the rim into the sugar, twisting slightly.

4. Let it dry for a few minutes before pouring the drink – otherwise the sugar will run down inside.

For a lighter version: brush the rim with syrup and dust the powder on with a dry brush.

The same powder also works as edible glitter on cakes, macarons or sweets: dust it onto chocolate or fondant with a dry brush, or mix it with a drop of alcohol and paint it on like a liquid colour.