A punch cup looks small, but 13 of these 15 punches put at least one full standard drink in every cup. The strongest, the Chatham Artillery Punch, is 1.5 per cup and the lightest, the Pomegranate Elderflower Punch, is 0.7. Every recipe is written for one cup, with the multiplier for a 12-cup bowl, and the shopping math for a 20-guest party is at the end.
1. Bourbon Cider Punch
Fresh cider, bourbon and a splash of ginger beer: the punch nobody has to explain. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage, 3 oz fresh apple cider, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz ginger beer. Stir the bourbon, cider and lemon in the bowl, top with ginger beer.
2. Bourbon Milk Punch
Bourbon, cold milk, a little sugar and vanilla, shaken or whisked until frothy. It's the brunch punch for the morning after the party. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Elijah Craig Small Batch, 3 oz cold whole milk, ½ oz simple syrup, a drop of vanilla, grated nutmeg. Shake or whisk with ice until frothy, strain, grate nutmeg over the top.
3. Champagne Punch
Cognac and lemon carry it; the Champagne goes in last so it stays lively. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1 oz VS Cognac, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 3 oz Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label). Mix cognac, lemon and syrup in the bowl, add ice, top with Champagne.
4. Chatham Artillery Punch
Three spirits, black tea, lemon and Champagne. It's the strongest cup on this list, so serve it in small cups. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: ½ oz VS Cognac, ½ oz Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, ½ oz Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Casks, 1 oz cold black tea, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 2 oz Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label). Stir everything but the Champagne in the bowl, add ice, top with Champagne.
5. Cranberry Gin Punch
Gin, unsweetened cranberry and lemon, lengthened with soda. Tart, red and not too sweet. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 2 oz unsweetened cranberry juice, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 1 oz soda water. Stir the gin, cranberry, lemon and syrup in the bowl, add ice, top with soda.
6. Pomegranate Elderflower Punch
Prosecco, pomegranate juice and elderflower liqueur. It's the lightest cup on this list, a good one to hand out first. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 3 oz Prosecco (La Marca), 1½ oz pomegranate juice, ½ oz St-Germain. Add pomegranate and elderflower to the bowl, top with Prosecco just before serving.
7. Spiced Holiday Rum Punch
Aged rum, pineapple, orange, lime and a little falernum for the spice. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Mount Gay XO Reserve Cask, 2 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz fresh orange juice, ½ oz fresh lime juice, ¼ oz velvet falernum (John D. Taylor's). Stir everything in the bowl over a large block of ice.
8. Rye Whiskey Tea Punch
Rye, strong black tea, lemon and demerara syrup: the old punch formula, tea stretching the spirit. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky BiB, 2 oz cold strong black tea, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz demerara syrup. Stir in the bowl over a large block of ice.
9. Scotch Ginger Punch
Blended malt Scotch with honey, lemon and ginger ale. Easy for people who think they don't like Scotch. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, ½ oz honey syrup, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, 3 oz ginger ale. Stir Scotch, honey and lemon in the bowl, add ice, top with ginger ale.
10. Applejack Cider Punch
Bonded applejack and fresh cider, brightened with lemon and a splash of ginger beer. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Laird's Bottled-in-Bond apple brandy, 3 oz fresh apple cider, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz ginger beer. Stir the applejack, cider and lemon in the bowl, top with ginger beer.
11. Lillet Grapefruit Gin Punch
Gin, Lillet Blanc and fresh grapefruit, topped with soda. Lighter and more bitter than most holiday punches. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1 oz Plymouth Gin, 1 oz Lillet Blanc, 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice, 1 oz soda water. Stir gin, Lillet and grapefruit in the bowl, add ice, top with soda.
12. Pear Ginger Bourbon Punch
Bourbon, pear nectar, lemon and ginger syrup. Soft and fruity, with a 100-proof bourbon under it. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Four Roses Single Barrel (OBSV), 2 oz pear nectar, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz ginger syrup. Stir in the bowl over a large block of ice.
13. Sparkling Cranberry Bourbon Punch
Bourbon and cranberry, topped with Prosecco so the bowl fizzes. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1 oz Wild Turkey 101, 1½ oz unsweetened cranberry juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 2 oz Prosecco (La Marca). Stir the bourbon, cranberry and syrup in the bowl, add ice, top with Prosecco.
14. Blood Orange Tequila Punch
Blanco tequila, blood orange juice, lime and agave, lengthened with soda. Blood oranges make it red without any food coloring. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Fortaleza Blanco, 2 oz fresh blood orange juice, ½ oz fresh lime juice, ½ oz agave syrup, 1 oz soda water. Stir the tequila, juices and agave in the bowl, add ice, top with soda.
15. Cranberry Orange Rum Punch
A sweet, rich aged rum with cranberry and orange. Go easy on any extra sugar; this rum brings its own. For a 12-cup bowl, multiply every amount by 12 and add ice just before guests arrive.
Recipe: 1½ oz Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail, 1 oz fresh orange juice, 1 oz soda water. Stir the rum and juices in the bowl, add ice, top with soda.
How Strong Is a Cup of Holiday Punch?
A US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol. Each cup below is one serving of the recipe as written.
| Cocktail | Pure alcohol | Standard drinks | Drinks per 750 ml bottle of the base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon Cider Punch | 0.65 oz | 1.1 | 16 |
| Bourbon Milk Punch | 0.70 oz | 1.2 | 16 |
| Champagne Punch | 0.76 oz | 1.3 | 8 |
| Chatham Artillery Punch | 0.88 oz | 1.5 | 50 |
| Cranberry Gin Punch | 0.62 oz | 1.0 | 16 |
| Pomegranate Elderflower Punch | 0.43 oz | 0.7 | 8 |
| Spiced Holiday Rum Punch | 0.67 oz | 1.1 | 16 |
| Rye Whiskey Tea Punch | 0.75 oz | 1.3 | 16 |
| Scotch Ginger Punch | 0.65 oz | 1.1 | 16 |
| Applejack Cider Punch | 0.75 oz | 1.3 | 16 |
| Lillet Grapefruit Gin Punch | 0.58 oz | 1.0 | 25 |
| Pear Ginger Bourbon Punch | 0.75 oz | 1.3 | 16 |
| Sparkling Cranberry Bourbon Punch | 0.72 oz | 1.2 | 25 |
| Blood Orange Tequila Punch | 0.60 oz | 1.0 | 16 |
| Cranberry Orange Rum Punch | 0.60 oz | 1.0 | 16 |
Pure alcohol is each pour multiplied by the ABV on our review of that bottle, plus: VS Cognac 40%, the legal minimum for Cognac; Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label 12%; La Marca Prosecco 11%; St-Germain 20%; John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum 11%; Laird's Bottled-in-Bond apple brandy 50%, the bonded proof; Lillet Blanc 17%. Bitters dashes and syrups are left out. One standard drink is 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol (NIAAA). Ice and shaking add water, not alcohol, so dilution does not change these figures.
The ice block melts into the bowl over the evening, which adds water but not alcohol, so a cup poured late is weaker per sip but the same per recipe. A guest who has three cups of the Chatham Artillery Punch has had about 4.4 standard drinks.
How Many Bottles Does a Punch Party Take?
For 20 guests at 2 cups each, that's 40 cups. A 750 ml bottle holds 25.4 fl oz, so here is how many bottles of each spirit, wine and liqueur each punch needs, rounded up:
| Punch | Bottles for 40 cups |
|---|---|
| Bourbon Cider Punch | 3 × Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage |
| Bourbon Milk Punch | 3 × Elijah Craig Small Batch |
| Champagne Punch | 2 × Cognac, 5 × Champagne |
| Chatham Artillery Punch | 1 × Cognac, 1 × Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 1 × Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Casks, 4 × Champagne |
| Cranberry Gin Punch | 3 × Sipsmith London Dry Gin |
| Pomegranate Elderflower Punch | 5 × Prosecco, 1 × St-Germain |
| Spiced Holiday Rum Punch | 3 × Mount Gay XO Reserve Cask, 1 × Velvet Falernum |
| Rye Whiskey Tea Punch | 3 × Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky BiB |
| Scotch Ginger Punch | 3 × Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky |
| Applejack Cider Punch | 3 × Laird's applejack |
| Lillet Grapefruit Gin Punch | 2 × Plymouth Gin, 2 × Lillet Blanc |
| Pear Ginger Bourbon Punch | 3 × Four Roses Single Barrel (OBSV) |
| Sparkling Cranberry Bourbon Punch | 2 × Wild Turkey 101, 4 × Prosecco |
| Blood Orange Tequila Punch | 3 × Fortaleza Blanco |
| Cranberry Orange Rum Punch | 3 × Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva |
Mixers aren't in the table. Buy them by the cup count: 40 cups of a punch with 3 oz of cider is 120 oz of cider, about 1 gallon.
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