25 Holiday Punches to Make Ahead of Your Parties

Lights Out Punch — Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

When you’re hosting a party, you can’t beat a bowl of punch for its ability to serve (and please) a crowd. Punches are widely considered the earliest-known cocktails—in their current form, they date to at least the 17th century—and historically feature a spirit, citrus, spice, sugar, and water. Today, many punches call for a bubbly element like sparkling wine or club soda, making them even more party-friendly.

Best of all, you can prepare most of these drinks in advance, and if the recipe doesn’t already yield multiple servings, you can easily scale it up for extra guests.

Champagne Holiday Punch

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Champagne is always appropriate for the holidays. An even more festive option is this citrusy punch from San Diego bar pro Erick Castro. He combines the sparkling wine with genever, Cointreau, club soda, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Old Fashioned bitters to serve at least eight.

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Christmas Punch

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This festive recipe from bartender Dave Taha combines light rum, cranberry and tart cherry juices, simple syrup, allspice, fresh ginger, nutmeg, and ginger ale. You can easily make a non-alcoholic version by omitting the rum.

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Café Corrección Ponche

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If you don’t want to mix up Espresso Martinis à la carte, consider this make-ahead punch. Bar pro Eric Alperin combines añejo rum, Punt e Mes vermouth, cold-brew coffee, orange juice, muddled sugar and orange peels, and simple syrup to yield about eight servings.

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Reggae Rum Punch

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Ian Burrell knows a thing or two about rum: He’s nicknamed The Rum Ambassador. For this twist on a classic Rum Punch, he highlights the spirit by combining an overproof white Jamaican rum with a bevy of fruit juices and a homemade strawberry syrup.

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Two-Hit Fig Punch

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This fruity bourbon-and-rum punch from bartending vet Charlotte Voisey hits all the right party notes. She combines the two spirits with figs, lemon and orange juices, and simple syrup to produce a drink that serves two dozen guests.

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Brandy Milk Punch

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This famed New Orleans cocktail likely originated at Brennan’s restaurant, where it’s still a classic brunch order today. Re-create the decadent recipe for four guests by combining brandy, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ice in a blender.

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Oaxacan Punch

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For this smoky and bittersweet punch, bar pro Tad Carducci combines mezcal, Averna amaro, grapefruit and lemon juices, agave nectar, ginger beer, and water. The recipe yields 10, but rest assured your guests will be going back for seconds.

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Rum-Brandy Punch

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This historic drink packs a two-spirit punch with aged rum and VSOP cognac (or Armagnac). Combine with muddled lemon peels and raw sugar, lemon juice, and cold water to serve 30.

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Sparkling Holiday Punch

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This fruity vodka punch from Voisey is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. She combines pomegranate and blueberry vodkas, muddled orange peels and sugar, lemon juice, a fig-infused tea syrup, sparkling wine, and water to serve a dozen.

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Port Royal Punch

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This boozy fruit punch doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or techniques. For an easy way to serve 25 guests, combine spiced rum, pineapple and mango juices, grenadine, and oranges.

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Royal Balmoral Punch

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Named for the Scottish summer home of the royal family, this elegant and festive punch is indeed fit for a royal—or your party guests. Voisey combines a single-malt scotch, apple juice, an English Breakfast tea syrup, sparkling lemonade, and Champagne.

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Cardamom & Pop Punch

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Cardamom lends its aromatic complexity to this spiced punch from bar pro Phil Ward. The mixture of rum, cardamom pods, lime and grapefruit juices, club soda, sugar cubes, and orange bitters can easily be scaled up for a crowd.

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Super Sunday Punch

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Chicago bartender Mike Ryan created this punch for game day, but its warm baking-spice flavors make it just as appropriate for a holiday gathering. Combine two classic American spirits—bottled-in-bond bourbon and Laird’s apple brandy—with cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice, grapefruit juice, honey, and sweet tea.

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Lights Out Punch

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

For this festive punch, bartender Joaquín Simó combines reposado tequila, tea-infused sweet vermouth, apple and lemon juices, demerara syrup, two types of bitters, and club soda, yielding 12 to 16 servings. A neat touch: a prepared ice block with apple slices and cinnamon sticks that infuses the drink with even more holiday flavors as it melts.

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Garrick Club Punch

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This refreshing gin punch dates to 1830s England, where it was first served at The Garrick Club. Step back in time with the refreshing mix of gin, maraschino liqueur (or Grand Marnier), muddled lemon peels and sugar, lemon juice, and club soda.

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Canadian Punch

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As drink historian David Wondrich writes, no one quite knows the Canadian relation of this punch, which first appeared in Jerry Thomas’s seminal Bon Vivant’s Companion in 1862. What we do know: The combination of rye whiskey, Jamaican rum, lemon and pineapple slices, sugar, and water will go down easily at your holiday parties. This recipe serves two dozen guests.

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Mexican Punch

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This tequila punch from bar pro Toby Maloney comes together easily, leaving you even more time to enjoy the party. Just muddle citrus fruits, then add blanco tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, and grenadine before topping with lemon-lime soda.

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Sauvignon Blanc Punch

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Make this light and refreshing punch for wine lovers. Bar pro Alex Jump combines sauvignon blanc, Aperol, grapefruit and lemon juices, simple syrup, and club soda.

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Boat House Punch

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This bright and bubbly punch from New York City bar pro Julie Reiner is delicious any time of year. She tops a lemon oleo-saccharum, dry gin, Aperol, St-Germain liqueur, and citrus juices with sparkling rosé.

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Orange Sherbet Mimosa Punch

Joy Wilson

This crowd-pleasing punch from blogger Joy Wilson also doubles as dessert. Just stir together Champagne, orange juice, and ginger ale, then add generous scoops of orange sherbet to serve a crowd of eight to 10.

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Bourbon Rosemary Punch

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Infuse a bottle of Aperol with rosemary ahead of a gathering to make this bittersweet and herbaceous punch. Combine with bourbon, honey syrup, grapefruit juice, dry sparkling wine, and soda water to serve 16.

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Lemon Bar Milk Punch

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Clarified milk punch, a clear punch, dates to the 17th century. This thoroughly modern recipe from Portland, Oregon bar pro Joel Scheck requires a little work, but you’ll be rewarded with 30 servings. He re-creates the flavors of the punch’s namesake treat with ingredients including rum, Licor 43 liqueur, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, Batavia Arrack, a graham-cracker-steeped whole milk, and a baking spice-Meyer lemon oleo saccharum.

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Ponche Navideño

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Make up to a dozen guests feel warm and cozy. This Mexican Christmas staple combines light rum, hot water, piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves, tamarind paste, apples, pears, raisins, hibiscus flowers, and lemons in a stockpot.

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Pear & Pub Ale Party Punch

Fine & Dandy

There’s no need to play bartender all night when you make this spiced punch in advance. Bartender Jonathan Webb combines rye whiskey, dark rum, cinnamon-pear syrup, citrus juices, and light beer to produce a festive drink that serves eight.

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Rainbow Planter’s Punch

Dale DeGroff

For this riff on a classic Planter’s Punch, the legendary Dale DeGroff combines white and dark rums, orange curaçao, allspice dram, grenadine, lime juice, Angostura bitters, and a rainbow of fruit juices. Up to six guests will be very happy to find it at a party.

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