Punch It Up

Holiday hosting calls for putting your best foot forward. Being prepared well before your guests pull into the driveway is ideal, and what better way to greet them than with a festive, delicious bowl of punch?

An easy and timeless way to share a drink with a large group, punch has a history going back several centuries—traditionally a tipple made from a spirit, sour citrus, sugar, spice and water. For modern versions, the trick with punch is making sure that everything is well-chilled and has appealing presentation, but achieving punch perfection typically requires little fuss by the host. Each of the original recipes offered here uses full bottles of spirits, minimizing measuring and waste, and most of the work happens hours or even a day before, allowing you more time for last-minute details elsewhere on your table.

From a Lambrusco and pomegranate sipper to a crisp cranberry and rosemary gin spritzer, these punches are sure to become favorites for all your gatherings, whether holiday parties or other get-togethers, year-round.

Pomegranate Lambrusco Punch

Sparkling wine is a hallmark of the holidays, and to get more sips per bottle, a punch is the way to go. This one features Lambrusco—a favorite to serve at Thanksgiving and other celebrations—blended with deep and brooding pomegranate juice, triple sec and vodka.

Ingredients

• 1 whole orange
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 750ml pomegranate juice
• 250ml triple sec
• 750ml vodka
• 750ml bottle Lambrusco, chilled

Prepare the Garnish

1. Take the orange, slice off the ends, then slice into thin rounds. Take the slices and cut them into quarters.

2. In a large ice-cube tray, place an equal amount of pomegranate seeds and orange quarters in each block. Fill the tray with water and freeze, 3 to 4 hours. Makes 12 cubes.

Make the Punch

1. Add granulated sugar to a saucepan on the stove along with 1 cup water. Bring to medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then transfer the simple syrup to an airtight container. (Will keep in the fridge for about a month.)

2. Mix pomegranate juice, triple sec, ¼ cup simple syrup (see above) and the vodka to a large bowl, stirring to combine. Transfer to an airtight container or pitcher and chill in fridge for at least an hour.

To Serve

Add the ice cubes and pomegranate mixture into a 3-liter bucket or punch bowl. Top with the chilled Lambrusco. Serves 12.

Tip: The larger the ice cubes, the longer they take to melt, making a less diluted drink.

Chilly Bourbon Toddy Punch

Angostura gives this Chilly Bourbon Toddy Punch a pinkish hue. (Penny de los Santos; Food styling by Judy Haubert)

A twist on the classic hot toddy, this punch combines strong and citrusy Earl Grey tea with sweet and smooth bourbon. What pulls it together is the inclusion of Angostura—a botanical bitter filled with baking spice flavors like allspice and clove, typically used in dashes in cocktails. This recipe uses a full pour of Angostura, which turns this punch a festive fuchsia color.

Ingredients

• 3 whole seedless lemons
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cloves
• 750ml strong Earl Grey tea (or black tea), chilled
• 750ml bourbon 4 ounces Angostura bitters

Prepare the Garnish

1. Take 1 lemon, slice off the ends, then slice the rest into thin rounds. Pierce each slice with 4 or 5 whole cloves around the perimeter. In a bundt or angel food cake pan, add the lemon slices in an even layer across the bottom. Place in the freezer and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. Makes one round of ice.

Make the Punch

1. In a mortar and pestle set or a medium-size bowl, add the peels of 2 lemons and the granulated sugar. (Set the lemons aside for later.) Mix the lemon peels and sugar, making sure to rub them together to exfoliate the peels, helping them to express their oils. (If you are not using a mortar and pestle, a wooden spoon or your hands will work.) Let sit for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Transfer to an airtight container in the fridge.

2. When ready to use, add ½ cup room-temperature water to the peels and sugar, stirring to create a syrup. Strain the peels and syrup into a large bowl, mashing the peels to get as much liquid out as possible.

3. Add the chilled Earl Grey tea, bourbon, the juice of the 2 peeled lemons and Angostura bitters into the large bowl with the lemon peel syrup. Stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator to chill to drinking temperature, about 1 hour.

To Serve

Around 10 minutes before serving, take the ice with lemons from the bundt pan and place in a bowl of warm water to loosen. Add the punch and the molded ice to a punch bowl. Serves 12.

Tip: To remove that slow-pour topper from the bottle of Angostura bitters, use your handy waiter’s corkscrew.

Rum, Sherry, Cherry & Cola Punch

Sherry's nuttiness is a great companion to funky Jamaican rum. (Penny de los Santos; Food styling by Judy Haubert)

This simple cola punch takes inspiration from the classic dive-bar delight, the rum and cola, but with a twist. The nutty and salty amontillado Sherry brings out the best in a cola, accentuating the notes of vanilla, bitter orange and baking spices, and complementing the sweet funk of Jamaican rum, rounded with juicy, candy-red cherries.

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce jar stemmed cocktail cherries
• 750ml white Jamaican rum
• 750ml amontillado Sherry
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 750ml cola
• 3 cups ice cubes, plus more for serving
• 1 orange, sliced into wheels or halves, for serving

Prepare the Garnish

1. From the jar of cocktail cherries, separate out 12 with the stems still attached. Destem the rest and set aside. In a standard ice-cube tray, add 1 cherry with the stem in each slot. Fill the tray with water and freeze, 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Makes 12 cubes.

Make the Punch

1. Using the destemmed cocktail cherries, lightly muddle with the juice of 1 lemon. Let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the muddled cherries, Jamaican rum and Sherry and stir to mix. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

To Serve

Add the cherries and rum mixture to a punch bowl, along with the orange slices, the plain ice and the cherry ice cubes. For each serving, pour the rum mixture into a glass with ice, and top with cola. Serves 12.

Recommended Cherries

Filthy Long-Stemmed Maraschino Cherries filthyfood.com, $20

Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino Cherries stonewallkitchen.com, $12

Cranberry and Rosemary Gin Spritzer

Try frozen fruit, like cranberries, instead of ice to keep your punches chilled. (Penny de los Santos; Food styling by Judy Haubert)

Tart and crisp cranberries come together with earthy rosemary in this bubbly cocktail, bolstered by herbaceous gin. The secret to this cocktail is to use a London dry gin, which is well-balanced between citrus and peppery juniper. (Not a fan of gin? Vodka is an easy 1-to-1 switch.) Accented by silky white vermouth and topped with club soda, this sipper works all year round.

Ingredients

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 750ml cranberry juice
• 750ml white vermouth
• 750ml London dry gin
• 3 limes, juiced
• 12 sprigs rosemary
• 2 cups whole cranberries, frozen
• 3 cups ice
• 2 limes, sliced into rounds
• 1 liter club soda

Make the Punch

1. Add granulated sugar to a saucepan on the stove along with ½ cup water and 3 large sprigs of rosemary. Bring to medium heat and stir consistently until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature, remove the sprigs of rosemary (and any leaves that may have fallen off), then transfer the simple syrup to an airtight container. (Will keep in the fridge for about a month.)

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together cranberry juice, vermouth, gin, lime juice and ¼ cup of the rosemary simple syrup. (Add more rosemary simple syrup to taste, if needed.) Transfer to an airtight container and put in the fridge to chill, about 3 to 4 hours.

To Serve

When ready to use, add the cranberry mixture to a serving vessel, with ice. Top with frozen cranberries, remaining rosemary springs, lime wheels. For each serving, pour the cocktail into a glass with ice and top with club soda. Serves 12.

Tip: Don't want to overdilute your punch with melted ice? Frozen fruits add flavor and chill to batched cocktails, without a ton of water.

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