Having a good punch at your party is essential. It’s the one-and-done cocktail you can make ahead, so you’re not stuck behind the bar at your own bash. It’s typically a balanced mix of sweet, boozy and tart, so it agrees with everyone’s differing taste buds. And it ultimately brings everyone together while dictating the flow of the entire night. Punch is a bona fide crowd-pleaser, but like any cocktail, some mixes are better than others. Here are eight party punches that will never do you wrong. Master a few of these recipes, and you’ll always be just a few ingredients away from throwing a solid party.
Rye whiskey, Cognac and bittersweet Amaro Montenegro come together in this traditional punch to produce a spicy yet savory flavor. It’s perfect for serving at a party, but the balanced libation would pair well with a sit-down dinner, too.
The Essentials
Rye Whiskey
Montenegro Amaro
Black Tea, Iced
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This rummy tropical punch is inspired by The Lusca, a legendary sea monster that would terrorize the ships of colonial rum merchants. The beast may be fictional at best, but this libation is most certainly real, made with thirst-quenching ingredients like grapefruit beer, guava-mango kombucha and pineapple juice.
The Essentials
Kombucha
Grapefruit Beer
Mixed Rums
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This Jamaican cocktail is vacation in a glass. Rum joins forces with sorrel—a juice made from hibiscus flowers—and ginger beer for a sweet, tart, spicy punch that’ll transport you further to the islands with each sip.
The Essentials
Rum
Sorrel Juice
ginger beer
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This gallon-sized beach-tail is the grown-up version of punchy Hi-C, made even better with the addition of booze. Mix up a bottle of rum with frozen lemonade and three juices in an empty jug, and you have an instant beach party for you and your sun-loving friends.
The Essentials
white rum
lemonade
cranberry juice
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This classic cocktail is our house party go-to. It’s easy to make and so objectively good that it’ll probably be gone within an hour or two of filling the punch bowl. Made with a mix of dark Jamaican rum, peach brandy, Cognac, chilled black tea and tart lemon juice, it’s super boozy and very easy to drink.
The Essentials
dark rum
Cognac
peach brandy
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Zesty Pisco Punch is summer in a glass. Made with a refreshing mix of unaged pisco, lemon juice and tropical pineapple gomme syrup, this sweet and potent cocktail is perfect for serving at your next picnic or backyard barbecue.
The Essentials
Pisco
lemon juice
pineapple gomme syrup
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This funky take on white Sangria relies on bright, acidic verdejo wine and rhum agricole for an earthy bite. Sweet-tart grapefruit cordial takes some time to make, but we promise the flavor payoff is worth it in the end.
The Essentials
Verdejo
Rhum
Grapefruit Cordial
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Invented at the Garrick Club in the 1800s, this namesake recipe was eventually printed in London Quarterly so imbibers could enjoy the drink outside of the member’s only institution. Much like a Tom Collins, the bright cocktail strikes a mouthwatering balance between sweet, sour and herbal.
The Essentials
Gin
maraschino liqueur
soda water
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