Whip Up These Pitcher Cocktail Recipes for Your Next Outdoor Party

By Wini Moranville
February 19, 2016
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Get the party started the minute the first guest walks through the door with these big-batch cocktails, including a super refreshing watermelon pitcher cocktail and our best lemonade cocktail that's perfect for summer sipping.
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Mexican Margaritas

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Some guests love inventive craft cocktails, others prefer sticking with the tried-and-true. For the latter crowd, choose classic pitcher cocktails such as this traditional margarita. Then serve your more adventurous pals a great watermelon pitcher cocktail. Check out the tweaks in the recipe.

Buy It: Blue Rocco Margarita Pitcher, $16.99, World Market

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Apposta Cocktail

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This Italian drink recipe means you can stop your search for big-batch gin cocktails right here. This baby has everything going for it: gin, Aperol (a refreshing bitter-orange aperitif), vermouth, and citrus, plus an unmistakable Italian essence. PS: This recipe puts the “big” in big-batch cocktails. It serves 12, but feel free to scale it back for a smaller gathering.

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Grilled Peach Frappé

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When the temperature rises and you’re looking for creative big-batch summer cocktails, pick up some peaches! Grill the fruit, then toss them in a blender with fresh lemon, sugar, and a swig of Southern Comfort for one of our coolest (and most creative) pitcher cocktails yet.

Buy It: Vitamix Professional Series 64-Ounce, Low-Profile Blender, $548.95, Amazon

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Coconut Cream Island Punch

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We love rum cocktails like mojitos to mai tais. But we also adore rum cocktails that introduce inventive flavor combinations, such as this recipe. Star fruit is the unexpected pleasure here (it’s a beautiful garnish) and mixing the rum with grapefruit soda and coconut sorbet adds a refreshing balance of sweet and tart. Cheers!

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Cucumber Sangria

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How do you make one of the world’s most refreshing pitcher cocktails? Start with some of the most refreshing ingredients. Honeydew melon, cucumber, mint, lime, and Sauvignon Blanc (the crispest of crisp wines) team up for one of our most thirst-quenching summer pitcher cocktails ever.

Buy It: 84-Ounce Belly Pitcher, $24.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

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Spicy Beer Mary Cocktails

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Beer cocktails are usually lighter in alcohol than spirits, which makes them terrific for late-morning gatherings. Try this tall, cool sip with your next patio brunch.

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Sangria

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No collection of cocktails for a crowd would be complete without a ruby-red sangria recipe.  With brandy, red wine, and two hits of lemon for extra refreshment, this is a batch cocktail that you’ll turn to again and again.

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Rosé-Cucumber Cooler

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Lightly citrusy and a wee bit floral, elderflower liqueur has been called bartender’s bacon because, like bacon, it greatly enhances many drinks. It’s no surprise that the liqueur works beautifully in pitcher cocktails. Add it to rosé wine with a little lemon juice for a head-turner.

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Sparkling Golden Sangria

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You know you’ve landed on a winning recipe for a summer cocktails when orange and mint are involved. The duo brings extra refreshment to this sparkling sipper that can be made up to 24 hours ahead so the flavors have time to meld.

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Apple-Cinnamon Winter Sangria

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Refreshing pitcher cocktails are not solely for summer. They're handy for winter gatherings, too, especially when the party’s rife with salty snacks, warming fires, and happy holiday revelers. Here, dried fruits and cinnamon add a seasonal angle to this winter sangria.

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Tea-Gin Splash

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Spike your iced tea to make this satisfying big-batch gin cocktail. Lemon juice, tea, club soda, and gin combine for refreshment. For a wilder-tasting sip, use a botanical gin rather than a dry gin. Good choices come from Scotland, Ireland, and California.

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Pepinos

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The dilemma: You’re hosting a Mexican-theme party, but you’re looking for big-batch cocktails that go beyond the usual margarita. The solution: the Pepino. This ultra-contemporary cocktail has the sweet-tart angle found in many batch summer cocktails but with an ultrafresh and cool touch of cucumber.

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Strawberry Sangria

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Big-batch summer cocktails are even better when they make the most of your trip to the farmers market. When strawberries are at their ripest, bring home a few pints and plunk them into this colorful beverage. PS: Because it doesn’t include a brandy (the high-proof ingredient in many sangria pitcher drinks), this recipe is a good choice for day-drinking.

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The Porcupine

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Thanks to two hits of pineapple—one in the juice and the other as a garnish—drinking this will make you'll feel like you've landed in Hawaii. The fizz comes from a couple of our favorite bubble-makers for pitcher cocktails: prosecco and beer.

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Sweet Honey White Sangria

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Sangrias always make terrific choices for easy summer pitcher cocktails. Want something even more on point? Try a sparkling sangria. Bubbles really enliven punch recipes. Cava—a Spanish sparkling wine—is an admirable (yet inexpensive) choice for the fizz. Its dryness balances the lush sweetness of the the nectarines, honey, and orange liqueur.

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Brown Derby Cocktail

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Did someone say whiskey is a winter drink? Not so! Whiskey is a terrific option for batch summer cocktails, especially when punched up with bitter ingredients. That’s because in cocktails, bitter = refreshing. This drink relies on lemon, grapefruit, and bitters.

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Bourbon-Strawberry Smash

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Pairing bourbon with fruit is not a novel idea (think of the cherries and oranges in a classic old-fashioned). With this cocktail pitcher recipe, we’ve refreshed the combo with strawberries and lemon. Muddled mint adds its cooling touch.

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Watermelon-Mint Coolers

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Amidst collection of cocktails for parties, remember to choose at least one nonalcoholic choice for the abstainers. Watermelon, mint leaves, lime, and ginger ale make this choice much more interesting than the usual club soda with lime. PS: For those who do drink, see the alcoholic version for a great watermelon pitcher cocktail.

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Vodka Lemonade

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On the steamiest of summer nights, a classic big-batch lemonade cocktail is a sure thing. That’s especially true if you make the lemonade from scratch—with fresh lemon juice—for bright and tangy results.

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Watermelon Margarita

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The secret to the dashing ice cubes for this watermelon pitcher cocktail is easy: Simply chill cubed watermelon a few hours before you serve the drink. That way, none of the flavors of this luscious margarita will get diluted.

  • 10 Surprising Things to Do with Watermelon

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Pineapple-Ginger Punch

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If you’ve never had fresh ginger in a beverage, get ready to fall in love. We adore the way it adds tingle to big-batch cocktails for summer. This punch is actually a mocktail, so it will be much appreciated by your guests who don’t drink alcohol.

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Basil Lemon Drop

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Homemade basil simple syrup layers on flavor in this big-batch lemonade cocktail. Be prepared to be impressed by how the herb’s minty, clovelike flavor works with the sweet vodka-lemonade.

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Peach Bellinis

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When you’re searching for pitcher drinks for a summer brunch, keep these Champagne cocktails in mind. Sweet summery fruit and uplifting sparkle means they cheer any gathering. Plus, you'll already be cheery because the drink requires only four ingredients and ice.

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By Wini Moranville
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