Our Top 5 Cocktails to Pre-Batch... and how to do it 

The feeling of prepping things in advance for your party may be one of the best there is. Put it together, check it off the list, and move on with your must-dos. Which is why we put together our top batch cocktail recipes - so you can simplify your party prep. You didn’t hear from us to make all five of these for one party… but we’re not saying it wouldn’t be a good time. Our favorite cocktail recipes to batch prep: Cheers!

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1. Sangria

To serve with tapas, tacos, or really any summertime party. Or anytime party.

Courtesy of Julia Hartbeck for The Spruce Eats

Prep Time: 5 min

Chill Time: 8 hrs

Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 1 (750mL) bottle red 
  • 1 lemon, wedged and seeded
  • 1 orange, wedged and seeded
  • 1 lime, wedged and seeded
  • 1 (8-ounce) can diced pineapple with juice
  • 2 tbsp sugar or agave syrup
  • 1 splash orange juice or lemonade
  • 4 cups ginger ale or club soda
  • 1 cup raspberries or strawberries, thawed or frozen
  • 4 oz gin or triple sec, optional

How to Make Sangria

  1. Pour wine into large pitcher or dispenser. Squeeze juice from lemon, orange, and lime into the wine. Toss fruit wedges into the pitcher.
  2. Add the pineapple, sugar, orange juice, and gin. 
  3. Mix well. 
  4. Chill overnight. 
  5. Just before serving, add ginger ale, berries, and ice (if needed) right before serving. 

Other Fruit Options

  • Green apples
  • Plums
  • Peaches
  • Blueberries
  • Apricots

2. Aperol Spritz

Take a trip to Positano for a stunning Italian getaway - or recreate one - and pair with it Italy's favorite cocktail.

Prep Time:  3 min

Chill Time:  8 hrs

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Aperol
  • 1 bottle prosecco (750 ml bottle, dry or brut style)
  • 1 cup soda water (about ⅔ of a 12oz can)
  • To garnish: Orange slices 

How to Make Aperol Spritz

  1. Chill all ingredients in the fridge overnight beforehand.
  2. Pour Aperol, prosecco, and soda water into a pitcher or drink dispenser. Gently stir.
  3. Slice several orange slices and add to the pitcher (optional, but pretty!)
  4. Pour into cocktail glasses over ice.
Pro Tip: Do your best to not add ice directly to the pitcher. Instead, chill the pitcher as much as possible in the fridge or set in a large ice bucket.

3. Margaritas

For Taco Tuesday. Or Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

Courtesy of The Cookie Rookie

Prep Time: 5 min

Servings: (13) 4-oz 

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups Triple Sec (ie Cointreau)
  • 1½ cups freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 3 cups Reposado Tequila
  • ½ cup Agave syrup
  • 12 cups ice

How to Batch Margaritas

  1. Mix all ingredients except the ice in a 2-qt pitcher. Chill the pitcher until time to serve.
  2. To serve, salt the glasses’ rim and fill with ice.
  3. Fill a cocktail shaker ¾ with ice. Pour prepared mixture to the top of the ice. Cover tightly and shake for 10 seconds. 
  4. Pour into glasses and serve, garnished with lime.
  5. Drain excess water from the shaker to repeat for next pours.

4. Bloody Mary

The classic hangover beverage, and your guests' next preferred savory drink.

Courtesy of Julia Hartbeck for The Spruce Eats

Prep Time: 10 min

Chill Time: 4 hrs, or overnight

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces vodka
  • 18 ounces tomato juice, store-bought or homemade
  • 3 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
  • 1 tsp celery salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, optional
  • To garnish: Lemon wedges, celery stalks, or pickle spears

How to Make Bloody Marys 

  1. Mix vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a pitcher.
  2. Add hot sauce, celery, salt, black pepper, and horseradish (optional).
  3. Stir well, cover, and chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
  4. To serve, pour over ice and garnish with lemon, celery, and pickle.

5. Strawberry Champagne Punch

Whether a wedding shower or baby shower (sans champagne for the mama-to-be), this punch is easy to drink and poses well for photos.

Courtesy of Rachel Riesgraf for The Spruce

Prep Time: 10 min

Chill Time: 8 hrs

Servings: 20 or 2.5 qts

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) package frozen fruit punch concentrate
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 (750 mL) bottle Champagne
  • 2 (12 oz) bottles ginger ale
  • Garnish: Strawberries, rosemary, seasonal fruits, or citrus slices

How to Make Strawberry Champagne Punch

  1. For the base, mix partially thawed fruit punch, water, strawberries, and orange and lemon juices. 
  2. Stir well and store in the fridge.
  3. Right before party time, pop the champagne and add it and ginger ale to the punch bowl.
  4. Add garnishes into the punch bowl and serve!
Pro Tip: Chill all ingredients beforehand to ensure it is entirely cold. This keep you from needing to add ice, which dilutes the flavor. 

Bonus!

Blueberry Ginger Mojito

Tastes like springtime in a glass. Or in this case, in a pitcher.

Courtesy of Food Network

Prep Time:  25 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients

For simple syrup

  • 1 cup grated fresh ginger
  • 4 cup sugar
  • 4 cup cold water

For mojitos

  • 4 cup fresh blueberries
  • 4 lime, wedged
  • 80 fresh mint leaves
  • 16 oz ginger simple syrup
  • 16 oz vodka
  • 20 oz club soda
  • Ice cubes
  • To garnish: Blueberries & mint leaves

How to Make Mojitos

  1. For the syrup, peel and grate the ginger. Add it to the saucepan with sugar and cold water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cover and steep for 15 min, then strain and let cool in the fridge.
  2. Muddle blueberries, lime, and mint leaves in a pitcher with a wooden spoon. Cover pitchers and chill in the fridge.
  3. To serve, add vodka, club soda, and simple syrup to pitcher. Stir, pour, garnish, and serve.
For more tips on batch prepping your cocktails, check these out.

Try these recipes with one of these parties by Partytrick:

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