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My Party Guests RAVE Every Time I Bring Out One Of These Big-Batch Cocktails

No playing bartender tonight!

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a pitcher and glasses of sangria made with white wine and strawberry syrup with ice, pieces of mint, sliced strawberry, and sliced lemons
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Every dinner party needs a cocktail (or mocktail!), but no one host wants to spend their entire night playing bartender. Enter: Big-batch cocktails to the rescue. Hosting a dinner party? Having a poolside hang? Bringing a shareable cocktail to the summer potluck instead of an app? Big-batch cocktails are the easy (& most-reliable!) answer. These 15 cocktail recipes all come in shareable servings, or can be easily batched to serve a crowd. From classic martinis to spritzes to creative sangria variations and punch recipes, these cocktail ideas let you get the work done ahead of time, so you can sit back and sip alongside your guests. Ready to be the host with the most? Check out our 15 most-loved big-batch cocktails:

1

Red Sangria

red sangria with fruit and cinnamon sticks
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Fruity, refreshing, and perfect for serving a crowd, sangria is one of our go-to cocktails to enjoy all year long. If you’re planning a dinner party, a late-night chat sesh with your friends, or just craving the most refreshing summer drink, our sangria recipe won’t let you down.

Get the Red Sangria recipe.

2

Campari Spritz

campari spritz with orange slices
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Move over, Aperol, there’s a new spritz in town! The Campari spritz—bubbly, bitter, and very refreshing—is the perfect drink for a leisurely pre-dinner hang or happy hour with friends. This drink couldn't be easier to batch, or make ahead of time. To get ahead of happy hour, you can make (and double) your Campari mixture ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use, then top with bubbly.

Get the Campari Spritz recipe.

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3

Kalimotxo Cola Punch

cola and red wine punch with orange and lime slices
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: BEN WEINER

The kalimotxo took the interweb by storm earlier this year, giving “sophisticated sangria” vibes as a composed cocktail, and with this recipe, we aim to make this your go-to party trick with complex yet familiar flavors that are sure to please a crowd.

Get the Kalimotxo Cola Punch recipe.

4

Dirty Martini

perfect dirty martini with chilled gin, dry vermouth, and olive brine
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

As every bartender worth their salt will tell you, the ratio for the perfect dirty martini is 5:1:1—chilled gin: dry vermouth: olive brine. The best place to store a dirty martini is in your stomach, but martinis are also great for batching. Make a 4x batch ahead of time and store it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks to make party prep a breeze.

Get the Dirty Martini recipe.

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5

Strawberry-Mint Sangria

a pitcher and glasses of sangria made with white wine and strawberry syrup with ice, pieces of mint, sliced strawberry, and sliced lemons
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Strawberries, mint, and lemon all come together to bring out the best of a bottle of white wine. It’s slightly tart, slightly sweet, and super-refreshing. And the strawberry flavor takes center stage in this sangria. Not only are there sliced strawberries swimming in the glass, but also a strawberry mint syrup that gives the sangria a beautiful pink tint.

Get the Strawberry-Mint Sangria recipe.

6

Ambrosia Punch

orange punch with round ice balls, sliced oranges, gummy candy, and maraschino cherries in a punch bowl with whipped cream on the side
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you can't get enough of ambrosia salad—that fruit-and-cream mixture your grandma called salad—then you will be obsessed with this grown-up version. Picture sunshine in a bowl, and you've got this boozy ambrosia punch, filled with all of the fruits and tropical flavors you know and love.

Get the Ambrosia Punch recipe.

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7

Tomato Tini

martini glasses with gin, tomato infused vermouth, and a basil leaf
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Instead of olive brine, this martini gets its rich flavor and vibrant color from tomatoes. If you’re skeptical, hear us out: Think of this cocktail as a cleaner, crisper version of a Bloody Mary. We combine the tomato paste with enough vermouth to make 2 martinis, but you can also scale the recipe to make a batch version to serve a crowd. You can also make the tomato-vermouth mixture up to 2 days in advance

Get the Tomato Tini recipe

8

Aperol Spritz

aperol spritz with orange slices
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Aperol spritz is extremely batchable; just be sure to follow the 3-2-1 golden ratio of Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. For no-stress summer gatherings, mix the Prosecco and Aperol in a pitcher up to 3 hours ahead and keep it chilled. When it’s party time, just pour the mixture over ice, top off with a splash of soda water, and garnish with an orange slice.

Get the Aperol Spritz recipe.

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9

Green Apple Moscato Sangria

green apple moscato sangria with strawberries, oranges, and green apples
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Moscato sangria fans—get ready to meet your new favorite shareable cocktail. Inspired by Olive Garden's now discontinued signature sangria, this copycat green apple moscato sangria is the perfect fall twist on the classic summer cocktail.

Get the Green Apple Moscato Sangria recipe.

10

Moscow Mule Punch

moscow mule punch delishcom
Parker feierbach

Yep — this is basically one enormous Moscow mule, which means that you don't have to play bartender all night. Mint isn't technically classic in the OG cocktail, but it's a nice, fresh touch in this punch.

Get the Moscow Mule Punch recipe.

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11

Pimm's Cup

pimms cocktail with cucumber, orange, lemon and strawberry slices garnished with mint and topped with ginger ale
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Few beverages capture the feeling of summer like a Pimm’s Cup. This recipe makes enough for one serving, but you can absolutely adjust it to make a large batch for your next party. In fact, why not set up an entire Pimm’s cup station? All you have to do is slice some extra fruit and pre-mix a pitcher of Pimm’s and lemon juice following the same ratio in the recipe. From there, your guests can fill their own glasses with ice, fruit, and the Pimm’s mixture before topping it off with ginger ale.

Get the Pimm's Cup recipe.

12

Prosecco Punch

prosecco punch
Parker feierbach

Has there ever been a more perfect brunch punch? Cheers to this drink with some cinnamon rolls and breakfast strata, or serve it with a breakfast-for-dinner spread.

Get the Prosecco Punch recipe.

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13

Giggle Juice

pink cocktail with sliced strawberries and lemon
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Once you've had a few of these extra-sweet cocktails, get ready to be giggling with your friends all night long. This fruity drink is filled with moscato, pink lemonade, and vodka, which is pretty much the most irresistible drink combo. This punch makes up to 8 servings, so it's ideal to get the party started for a crowd.

Get the Giggle Juice recipe.

14

Paloma

paloma cocktail with a salt rim and grapefruit garnish
PHOTO: NICO SCHINCO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

While the classic margarita may get all the attention stateside, the paloma (its pink-hued cousin) deserves its fair share of the spotlight. Along with its sweet, citrus-y flavor, the paloma is also perfectly simple to create, making it an ideal low-lift summer drink. It's extremely easy to batch: simply prepare the tequila and grapefruit juice mixture in a pitcher, then divide and top with club soda when ready to serve.

Get the Paloma recipe.

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15

Summer Shandy Punch

summer shandy punch

Think of this as the boozy version of an Arnold Palmer—1/2 beer, 1/2 lemonade. We jazzed it up for summer with some fresh fruit and ginger beer too—feel free to swap in your faves (berries or peaches would be great).

Get the Summer Shandy Punch recipe.

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