With these holiday batched cocktails, seasonal entertaining doesn’t have to be glasses of warm white wine and ho-hum reds. Dazzle your nearest and dearest with prepare-ahead, batch cocktails. Mixologist Andrea Duran shares some of her favorites along with some insider tips to guarantee cocktail success.
Holiday Batched Cocktails for Your Gatherings
Piña Paradise Mojito
Escape the winter blues (and greys) with a glass of sunshine. Notes of mezcal, pineapple, and lime sing a song of sunshine in every sip.
Spice is Nice Sangria
Sangria doesn’t have to be saved for a summer day, especially when it is so nicely spiced with the warm flavors of chai tea. You’ll be reminded of mulled wines and wassails. Top this party-friendly, low ABV sangria with a star anise pod and you’ve got the perfect potion for some fireside chats.
Stone Fruit Sour
A lush blend of fruit – lemon, apricot, tart cherries and peach – make this an adult version of fruit punch. We think it’s time to revive punch: it’s easy to make, even easier to customize with your favorite flavors, and it looks great in a big pitcher or, better yet, a retro glass or silver punch bowl. Let the celebrations begin!
Starlight Negroni
Short days and long nights call for a bit of star gazing with this Starlight Negroni. A healthy glug of ginger liqueur and a candied ginger garnish make it the perfect tipple to keep you warm while drinking in the night sky. Visions of sugarplums are sure to dance in your head… and you’ll enjoy a long winter’s rest after the party dies down.
Pro Tips for Batching Cocktails
- By batching cocktails ahead of time, you can more freely enjoy your guests.
- For mixing, use a large pitcher, bowl, Mason jar, water bottle, or clean growler that can hold the entire batch.
- Use a funnel to decant the big batch to smaller bottles or pitchers for an easy self-serve scenario.
- Chill all ingredients the night before.
- Prep fresh juices shortly before the party starts and add them to the refrigerated cocktail batch for optimal flavor.
- Keep sealable Mason jars on hand to refrigerate leftovers.
- If you’re good at math, you can scale an individual recipe up to the number of servings you need. If you’re not, stick to a batched recipe.
- Don’t forget that dilution with melting ice is part of most cocktail recipes. Serve your batched bevvies on the rocks or dilute to taste and chill properly if you’re not serving ice.
Recipes by Andrea Duran / Styling by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce
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