Batch Cocktails for Holiday Hosting by Total Wine & More
You’ve got enough to worry about on the day of Thanksgiving – you don’t want to be behind the bar mixing up cocktails for guests on top of it all! Here are a few simple batch cocktails that you can put together before everyone starts arriving. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
The good thing about sangria is that you don’t have to follow a recipe to the letter; you can add the fruit you want, swap certain spices, play with the amount of booze – whatever works for you. Here is a good base for an autumn-inspired red sangria. Make this in the morning so it can sit and develop flavor!
Yields |Â 6Â |
- 750 mL light-bodied red wine
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cup apple brandy
- ¼ cup simple syrup (cinnamon or plain)
- 1 apple, cored and chopped (honeycrisp works well)
- 1 pear, cored and chopped
- ½ orange, quartered and sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 4 cinnamon sticks
| Preparation | Add all ingredients to a large pitcher and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
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This simple batch cocktail is another one you can make in the morning before company arrives. Just make sure to reserve the club soda until you serve it –you want the fizziness to stay strong.
Yields |Â 4-6Â |
- 1 cup vodka
- 3 oz elderflower liqueur
- ½ cup cranberry juice
- 1 ½ cups club soda
| Preparation | In a large pitcher filled with ice, combine the vodka, elderflower liqueur and cranberry juice. Stir, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. To serve, pour the mixture into a Champagne flute and top with club soda - you’ll want about a 50-50 ratio.
Go easy on this last one – the rum is strong and sneaks up on you. That said, this is basically a batch of more accessible Negronis for your guests to enjoy. You’ll also want to keep the sparkling wine reserved until it’s time to serve. Cheers!
Yields |Â 6Â |
- 1 ½ cups amber rum
- 1 cup Campari
- 1 cup sweet vermouth
- sparkling wine, to serve
- orange twists, to garnish
| Preparation | In a large pitcher, combine the rum, Campari and vermouth. When ready to serve, fill a collins glass with ice, add about 2 ounces of the rum mixture and top with the sparkling wine, also about 2 ounces. Garnish with an orange twist.
Jordan Baranowski
Jordan Baranowski is a writer based out of Prairie Village. His social media is generally just food and animals.