It’s fun to play bartender in theory, but when you’re hosting friends, you don’t *actually* want to wield a cocktail shaker all night, do you? That’s what we thought—and we have a solution: big-batch cocktails. By scaling up your drinks, you can skip the stirring, shaking and pouring and get straight to the fun part. Here, 23 big-batch cocktails we love, from pitcher margaritas and mojitos for a crowd to festive punch and refreshing sangria.
23 Big-Batch Cocktails for Easy, No-Stress Entertaining
Sip, sip, hooray
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Published Mar 9, 2024
The Modern Proper
1. Big-Batch Pink Negronis (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Since it’s an equal parts recipe, you can make a big-batch cocktail out of any type of negroni. Our version uses Lillet Blanc in place of vermouth for a lighter, more quaffable drink.
2. Grapefruit Wine (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
This three-ingredient sipper is made from nothing more than rosé, simple syrup and grapefruit juice. It’s super refreshing, easy to make for a crowd and ready to drink in 15 minutes. Pretty ingenious, right?
3. Slow Cooker Spiked Cinnamon Lattes (12 servings)
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser
Your slow cooker is an excellent resource for batching up hot cocktails. Not only does it make a ton at once, it eliminates the need to stand by the stove while you entertain a crowd. Coffee liqueur and vanilla vodka make this one taste like the most expensive café drink on the menu (in a good way).
4. Italian Sangria (6 servings)
- Time Commitment: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
An afternoon soirée on the patio calls for a refreshing drink, and this pitcher is just the thing. Made with rosé and a bittersweet Italian aperitif, it’s a summery twist on classic sangria (with fresh peaches and tons of strawberries for good measure).
5. White Sangria with Peaches and Berries (6 to 8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Speaking of sangria, you don’t even have to like red wine to enjoy the party-friendly drink. Simply trade in a bottle of white (like dry Riesling or sauvignon blanc) and enjoy.
6. Raspberry-Lime Champagne Punch (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
You can’t talk about big-batch cocktails without mentioning punch, right? This one is bubbly and tart, thanks to sparkling wine and lots of fresh lime juice. You can splurge on Champagne if you want, but prosecco or cava would also work nicely.
7. Cranberry-Mint Holiday Punch (15 servings)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
The easiest way to bring good cheer? Fill up a bowl with this large-batch cocktail, which combines fresh mint, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, vodka and sparkling wine. (Psst: Not sure how to pop a bottle? Follow our guide.)
8. Pomegranate-Demerara Rum Punch (10 servings)
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
This make-ahead cocktail features two types of rum; fresh pineapple, orange and lime juices; and homemade pomegranate grenadine. Sound like a lot of work? Good news: You can (and should) make it all ahead.
9. Pitcher-Style Margaritas for a Crowd (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 7 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes
Nothing says “party” like a pitcher of margs. Hot tip: If you’re batching a cocktail that’s normally single-serve, don’t forget to add water or ice to dilute the mix. (It makes up for the lack of shaking or stirring that would happen otherwise.)
10. Best Bloody Marys (6 servings)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
It wouldn’t be Sunday brunch without a bloody Mary bar, and this version proves that you don’t need fancy garnishes or fixings to make a good one. The key is to use high-quality bottled or fresh tomato juice, and to season it until it’s just savory and spicy enough. See ya, shrimp and bacon skewer.
11. Kentucky Lemonade (6 servings)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Bourbon, ginger ale and lemonade are all you need to make this summery big-batch cocktail. To go the extra mile, rim the glasses in honey and sparling sugar. (And if you want to use store-bought lemonade, we’ll never tell.)
13. Frosé (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
If you’re going to the effort of making a frozen drink, you might as well make it large format. This one is a crowd-pleasing combination of wine, lemon juice and simple syrup—think sno-cones for adults. Use a dry rosé to keep it from being cloying.
14. Spiced Bourbon Punch (16 servings)
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
Homemade spiced simple syrup, lots of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and three types of alcohol (including a full bottle each of bourbon and Champagne) are just the things to dress up apple cider for a gathering. Nobody wants a weak punch, and this one brings the booze.
15. Minted Mimosa Punch (6 to 8 servings)
16. Mojito Pitcher (8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes
A standard mojito starts with muddling sugar and mint in a glass, but to bypass that step for a big-batch version, you’ll make an easy mint simple syrup instead. Add your lime juice, pour in some rum and you’re done.
17. Pimm’s Cup (4 servings)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, beginner-friendly
This sweet, botanical drink is super easy to scale up, since it’s just a combination of bubbly water, lemon juice, Pimm’s No. 1 (a gin-based liqueur) and fresh fruit. How very British of you.
18. Key Lime Beergaritas (4 servings)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <15 minutes
Even non-beer drinkers will enjoy this potent-yet-refreshing cocktail. If you don’t want to squeeze a million tiny key limes, use bottled juice or swap in standard limes. (Just don’t skip the salty rim.)
19. Strawberry Gin Lemonade (8 to 10 servings)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser
This combination of herbal gin and tart-sweet lemonade is begging to be sipped on a warm summer day. For an eye-catching effect, try using Empress gin, which is infused with butterfly pea flower. When it combines with the citrus, it will turn the drink a gorgeous pinkish-purple hue.
20. Frozen Blueberry Margaritas (1 serving)
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
In our humble opinion, if you’re doing the work of getting out your blender, you better be making a big batch of margs. This recipe makes one, but is easily scalable—just don’t fill the pitcher past the maximum line.
21. Tropical Rosé Aperol Spritz (6 to 8 servings)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Passion fruit and lime juices take the usual spritz from fine to fantastic. It’s slightly sweeter than the original, but tempered by the addition of sparkling rosé.
22. Spiked Cherry Limeade (6 servings)
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Six ingredients, ten minutes and one pitcher are all you need to make this crowd-pleasing treat (which tastes like a grown-up Shirley Temple, BTW). To serve, rim the glasses with coarse sugar and add a wedge of fresh lime.
23. Classic Eggnog (6 servings)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead
Is nog a cocktail? Debatable…but once you have a few sips, you won’t really care about the answer. We call for bourbon in the recipe, but you could use another spirit, like brandy or rum, if you so desire.
