24 co*cktail and Punch Recipes for Easy Entertaining and Any Occasion (2024)

FAQs

What are the 20 most popular co*cktails? ›

The general rule is to provide one gallon of punch for every 10 guests. A conservative estimate assumes each guest will drink about three four-ounce servings.

The margarita was the best-selling co*cktail of 2023, according to exclusive data from NielsenQ (NIQ). This isn't a surprise, as the tequila-powered frozen (or shaken) concoction that helps us hang on has been the most popular co*cktail in the U.S. since 2015, the first year NIQ began tracking this category.

1. MINIMALIST co*ckTAILS: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. The minimalism trend is focused on the quality of ingredients rather than quantity – bringing three-ingredient co*cktails back to the forefront of mixology.

Water is the world's most consumed drink, however, 97% of water on Earth is non-drinkable salt water.

Embury's six basic drinks are the Daiquiri, the Jack Rose, the Manhattan, the Martini, the Old Fashioned, and the Sidecar. Embury's preferred recipe for each is: Daiquiri. Shake with much finely crushed ice and strain well into a chilled co*cktail glass.

In fact, the word “punch” is thought to derive from the Hindi word for “five,” as the original drink was frequently made with just five ingredients: alcohol (usually rum, brandy, or arack), sugar, juice (from either a lime or a lemon), water, and spices (like nutmeg).

How long before a party should you make punch? ›

Make-Ahead Punch Tip: Prepare punch through Step 2, except do not add the carbonated beverage or, if using, ice ring and stir-ins. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Add carbonated beverage, ice ring, and stir-ins just before serving.

It's easiest to make glass jugs of punch, which guests can pour out for themselves. Use your imagination: you can use small jam jars as glasses and sip the drink through straws. Normal wineglasses or trendy wineglasses without stems are also stylish options.

The classics themselves run the gamut from spirit-forward sips (think: the Old Fashioned and Manhattan) and simply shaken favorites (cosmos, gimlets) to sparkling variations (there's a champagne co*cktail for every taste) and tropical tastes (we do indeed love a piña colada).

They are the Old Fashioned, Martini, Daiquiri, Sidecar, Whiskey Highball, and Flip. In each drink, every ingredient falls into at least one category. Core is the primary flavor; balance enhances the core with sweetness, acidity, or both; and seasoning adds another dimension and complements or contrasts with the core.