Serving mixed drinks at a party can be a real treat, but not if that means you’re stuck behind the bar all night shaking and stirring. While it’s nice to feel a bit classy by serving your guests a well-made Manhattan or Martini to start the night, if mixed drinks are the main beverage you plan to serve, you can easily tie yourself to the cocktail shaker for the entire night if you’re not careful. And that’s where punches come in to save the night.
A punch is a great way to serve a deliciously boozy drink without having to continuously crack ice, measure proportions, and stir. Think of how often you probably served hunch punch in college for this exact reason…except this time you’ll be pouring something a bit classier, and we’d hope you have a nicer vessel to serve it in than an old cooler – not that we’re judging your college years.
When it comes to making a good punch, we think simplicity is key. We try to go with punches for large parties that don’t have a ton of ingredients, and you of course also want to always serve them in a beautiful bowl with the largest ice cubes you can make floating inside. We recommend starting with cold ingredients when you go to make your punch, that way the ice cubes will take longer to melt – no one likes a watery cocktail! After that, just place a bunch of nice glasses by the bowl and a ladle inside for serving, and you’re free to worry about other things!
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The Ingredients
1 Bag of Fresh Cranberries
2 Cups of Pomegranate Juice
3 Cups of Tangerine Juice
5 Cups of Cranberry Juice
2 Bottles of Sparkling Wine
Instructions
Combine all liquid ingredients in a large punch bowl and stir gently to combine. Add a handful or two of fresh whole cranberries to the punch for decoration, and some large cubes of ice to keep the drink cool. Serve.
Lemon Drop Champagne Punch
The Ingredients
¾ Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Cup of Simple Syrup
1 Bottle of Champagne
¾ Cup Vodka
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add large cubes of ice and serve. If you like you could also provide lemon twists or slices by the bowl for guests to add to their glasses.
Manhattan Punch – Our punch take on the classic cocktail
The Ingredients
3 Cups of Rye Whiskey
¾ Cup of Sweet Vermouth
¾ Cup of Dry Vermouth
24 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
Cherries for Garnish
Instructions
Mix rye and vermouth together in the bowl. Add the dashes of bitters and float the cherries for garnish. Drop in large ice cubes to chill and serve.
The Montgomery (Alabama) Punch
The Ingredients
2 Cups of Fresh Lemon Juice
1 ½ Cups of Sugar
1 Cup of Brandy
2 Bottles of Sparkling Wine
1 375ML Bottle of White Dessert Wine (like Sauternes)
Instructions
Combine the lemon juice, sugar and brandy in the punch bowl until the sugar dissolves. Then add the sparkling and dessert wines. Stir and add ice. Serve.
Lemon Gin Fizz
The Ingredients
2 Cups of Simple Syrup
1 ¾ Cups of Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Bottle of Gin (750 ML)
1 Bottle of Sparkling Wine
Mint Leaves
Lemon Slices
Instructions
Combine all liquid ingredients in a punch bowl. Add large ice cubes and the mint leaves and lemon slices for garnish. Serve.
Sparkling Rum Punch
The Ingredients
2 Cups of Orange Juice
½ Cup of Grand Marnier
½ Cup of Dark Rum
1 Bottle of Champagne
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice. Serve.
