Okay, sure, the holidays are the most magical time of the year, but they’re also the most stressful. Especially if you’re the one doing all the hosting! <insert three dead inside smiley face emojis here> We get it: two weeks ago you had a couple glasses of wine and it seemed like a great idea to send out that Paperless Post invitation to your whole extended family and everyone in your building. (The Christmas themes are so cute!) But now it’s December and you have forty people coming over for a holiday party next weekend and you just spent all your money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and you need some holiday entertaining on a budget tips and easy Christmas cocktail recipe ideas STAT. We gotchu.
Enter: punch with vodka and champagne. Or sparkling wine. Or gin. Or rum. The point is, dump a bunch of alcohol and juice in a bowl and you’ve got yourself a Christmas party punch that looks good, tastes good, and gets people toasted. The best part? You don’t have to stand by the bar cart all night mixing cocktails.
The secret to making a great punch is great ingredients, but no need to go crazy. We’re all about the high/low rule here. If you use a beautiful fruity base, swap the Champagne for prosecco. Inversely, if you use Champagne, you can go for a simpler juice to let the wine shine. For the base, we recommend something floral, fragrant, tart and complex, but not *too* sugary. (Something like Morris Kitchen Grapefruit Hibiscus Cocktail Mixer works great.) For the spirit, we’re partial to something clear, but rum works well too. For the garnish, we love cocktail cherries, or slices of orange (FWIW, citrus in season right now!). You literally can’t mess this up. To make, simply pour all ingredients in a punch bowl. Set bowl on side table in dining room with a stack of plastic cups and napkins. Plug in tree lights. Call it a Christmas miracle.
So, get ready to go all Martha Stewart and whip up an easy batch of alcoholic punch! You might even have enough time to take a breather from hosting and actually partake in singing carols ‘round the piano this year. (LOL, coffee table – who can fit a piano in their apartment?? If you can, please add us to that Paperless Post invite.)
Best Party Punch Ever
6 oz. fruity cocktail mixer
6 oz. vodka
6 oz. Champagne, prosecco, or sparkling white wine
4½ oz. lemon juice
Cocktail cherries, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl filled with ice. (Tip: either add the cherries to the bowl with the other ingredients, or leave on the side for people to plop in their glass themselves!)
2. Gently stir to mix. Note: Add more or less of depending on the size of your punch bowl, just keep the ratios the same.
We hereby declare punch the best holiday entertaining trend of all time. #lazyentertainingftw