Repeat after us: You are the host, not the bartender. To get you out from behind the bar (with a drink in hand, of course), we devised a roster of supersized, festive, homemade cocktails—ranging from a refreshing minty Moscow mule to an icy hard-cider slush—designed to fuel your festive revelry without the use of a cocktail shaker, bar spoon, or muddler.
Our batch cocktails range from sweet to complex, so there’s sure to be a drink to suit your taste and the vibe of the party. The cocktail mixer options range, too, so your favorite is sure to be included. Now go forth and mix.
Bourbon-Campari Punch
Getty Images/Aksana Yasiuchenia
This festive holiday drink is pretty to look at—thanks to pomegranate juice—and sweet-tart to drink. Pull out the Bundt pan to make an old-fashioned ice ring made of pomegranate juice and arils (seeds), and allow 4 hours for it to freeze.
Cucumber Spritzer
Victor Protasio
A homemade mint simple syrup is mixed with fresh lime juice and cucumber to create this invigorating spritzer. This recipe makes eight cocktails, so you may need to double or triple the recipe depending on how big of a batch you’re hosting. If you’re wanting to make this fizzy drink a mocktail, replace the gin with additional club soda.
Red Sangria With Blackberries
Start with any red wine for this sangria, and then add a bit of brandy, sugar, club soda, an orange, and blackberries. Give the mixture an hour in the fridge for the fruit to macerate—allowing it to soften and draw out natural juices—and then serve in a tall glass with lots of ice.
Rum and Pineapple Punch
This fruity punch with an apple cider base gets its kick from rum and brandy. Sweet, refreshing, and perfect for fall, allow at least 4 hours (or overnight) to chill before serving.
Gin-Cider Punch
Getty Images/Veselova Elena
This bright, refreshing drink (on the left) is made with apple cider, gin, and elderflower. Garnish with apples and lemon rounds for a crisp-as-a-fall-day, big-batch cocktail.
Golden Ginger-Lemon Vodka Punch
Getty Images/Burcu Atalay Tankut
This recipe for a pretty yellow punch yields 16 cups, so you can hydrate (sort of) a crowd with just 20 minutes of prep. It needs to chill for at least 2 hours, so plan ahead with your prep before you start sampling.
Boozy Apple Cider Slushie
Part slushie, part serious cocktail, this cider- and bourbon-spiked treat is guaranteed to get even the most self-serious grown-ups grinning. Prep the shaved ice the night before and when it comes to party time, just scoop and pour.
Holiday Punch
This Caribbean-inspired punch was created with the holidays in mind, but you can enjoy its dark, complex flavor any time of year. The ingredient list is a little long (nine ingredients, including three types of alcohol), but with a 25-serving yield, it’s well worth the trip to the store.
Minty Moscow Mule Punch
While every bit as smooth and refreshing as the classic vodka cocktail that inspired it, this party-sized version of the Moscow mule adds one upgrade: a subtle, cool, and inviting note of mint. The spicier your ginger beer, the more fire and bite your punch will have—so choose accordingly.
White Negroni Punch
This electric twist on the negroni swaps a yellow-hued French herbal liqueur, Suze, in place of the traditional, ruby red Campari but still maintains the cocktail’s signature well-balanced bitterness. If Suze is hard to find, you can try other fortified aperitifs—like Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc—with slightly sweeter results.
Kombucha-Blood Orange Mule
This recipe gives a popular cocktail the kombucha treatment, resulting in a fizzy, flavorful drink. If you can’t find blood oranges, which are in season in winter, use fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. Garnish with fresh citrusy slices.
Sweet-and-Spicy Mulled Wine
A generous dose of black peppercorns and spicy fresh ginger balances the sweetness of added sugar to turn two bottles of dry red wine into a warm, comforting party punch. It takes 30 minutes for the mulling spices to do their job, plenty of time to stoke the fire and pick out a sweater.
Frozen Rosé – Frosé
It requires some prep time—8 hours, to be exact—but this popular adults-only slushie is so worth it. The recipe starts with making rosé ice cubes and ends with pouring them—whirled with vodka and grenadine—into wine glasses served to overheated guests.
Spiced Apple Kombucha Cocktail
This iced cocktail features an iconic fall beverage and classic winter spices that your guests will enjoy any time of year. The recipe explains how to make your own spiced rum, or take it easy and buy some (like Captain Morgan’s).
Bloody Mary
Whether served at brunch, happy hour, or the morning after, this iconic cocktail recipe is sure to delight fans and win-over haters. Additions of horseradish, hot sauce, celery salt, and pepperoncini peppers give this version a kick worthy of a black belt.
Boozy Cold Brew Slushies
Cold brew coffee has come of age and is making an appearance at happy hour! The secret to this caffeinated cocktail is its pre-made coffee ice cubes that blend with cold brew, milk, Irish cream, vodka, and vanilla for positively addictive results.
Easy Blender Eggnog
This recipe delivers the flavor and creamy texture of a traditional eggnog but cuts prep and cooking to just 20 minutes. It calls on your blender to whirl eggs with a simmering mixture of heavy cream, sugar, and nutmeg from the stove. Add brandy (or not, for a non-alcoholic version) and serve up holiday bliss.
White Grapefruit-Ginger Spritz
CHRISTOPHER TESTANI
This zesty, herby, big-batch recipe infuses a simple syrup with freshly chopped ginger. Allow 40 minutes for the mixture to chill, and then add chilled grapefruit juice and chilled Prosecco just before serving. Garnished with slices and sprigs of thyme, each refreshing cocktail is licensed to chill.
Boozy Watermelon Frozen Slushie
It may look like a convenience store slushie, but make no mistake! This fruity concoction—whether spiked with rum or vodka—delivers boozy, blended bliss on a sultry day.
Boozy Dole Whip
Whether they spoon it from cups or slurp it from an extra wide straw, guests will love this Disney-park-treat copycat spiked with rum. Fill ice cream cones with this soft-serve-style cocktail for an “imagineered” dessert.
Cherry Gin Rickey
“A Shirley Temple all-grown-up” describes this refreshing fruity cocktail perfectly. It requires a bit of advance prep in the form of cooking fresh cherries, sugar, and water stovetop, and then allowing the thickened mixture to cool for an hour. For an actual Shirley Temple, just leave out the gin.
Fall Cider Sangria
Hosts have a lot to do at the last minute, but this easy recipe takes “make delicious cocktails” off that list. Make a big batch in advance—between 4 and 24 hours—by combining an apple, pear, and orange with apple brandy, white wine, and apple cider. Your guests will fall for it!
Holiday Negroni
Infuse this popular Italian cocktail with Christmas flavors—star anise, cinnamon, and cloves—for the perfect holiday drink. This recipe requires a day head start (for the infusing part) and serves eight merry guests.
Classic Margaritas
Skip the margarita mix aisle and make a pitcher of your own classic cocktails from scratch. This easy, five-ingredient recipe goes well with chips and salsa, salted rims, and festive party guests; preferably all three.
The Ultimate Negroni
This recipe serves nine, and shows you how to package each single-serving negroni cocktail into a little bottle or jar as a party favor, but your guests may not want to wait to enjoy them. They’re easy to make—one part each gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth—and guests love them, so make two batches: one for the party and one to go!
White Sangria
This easy, punch-like libation transforms a bottle of white wine, white grape juice, club soda, and summer fruits—nectarines, tangerines, and white grapes—into a refreshing drink perfect for any occasion. This cocktail gets sweeter with time, so chill for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours) before serving.
Paloma
“A kinder, gentler margarita” is a good way to describe this fruity, refreshing cocktail. It combines a make-ahead grapefruit simple syrup (directions included) with grapefruit juice, lime juice, club soda, and tequila for an ice-chilled treat.
Spiced Hot Toddy
For a cocktail that tastes better as the weather gets colder, look no further. This recipe takes the classic hot toddy—whiskey, sugar, hot water, and a cinnamon stick—and infuses it with baking spices, namely cardamom and star anise.
Plaza Champagne Punch
Jen Causey
If you want to make a big-batch beverage the whole group will love, try this sweet and fizzy sipper. This vibrant nightcap is given life with tropical tea and lemon juice and made bubbly by rosé Champagne. Pour the blend into a large punch bowl and serve with strawberries and lemon wheels for garnish if desired.
