Recipes: If youre having a summer party, make these cocktails by the pitcher – OCRegister

As warmer weather kicks in, big-batch cocktails can help to make gatherings delicious and easy. Whether under the stars, seated poolside, or happily gathered around the table on a patio, backyard bartenders can relax when entertaining outdoors.

Chill. Pour. Cheers.

Made in advance, big-batch drinks are served from a large, chilly pitcher. Depending on the ingredients, most of the work can be accomplished hours or even days in advance. So, theres no last-minute shaking in a cocktail shaker. No trying to remember ingredients and proportions. No stress.

Along with a chilled big-batch pitcher, I like to make an easy-access tray with glasses and a filled ice bucket. I often use stemless wine glasses or smallish Old-Fashioned glasses, keeping serving size on the moderate side. No supersizing at my house; I want guests to remember dinner.

My table display includes non-alcoholic choices as well. Some chilled sparkling water and fresh juice are a must. And if I have several guests that prefer non-alcoholic cocktails, I like to make an adapted version of cookbook author Maggie Hoffmans big-batch Blaylocks.

To make them, up to two hours in advance combine 4 1/2 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a 2-quart pitcher. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey syrup made in a 2:1 ratio (combine 1 1/4 cups honey and 3/4 warm cup water in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until blended, do not boil cool.) To serve, pour halfway up in tall, ice-filled glasses. Top off with sparkling water.

Boulevardiers origin dates to Paris in the 1920s. American expat Erskine Gwynne is credited with inventing the tasty concoction, dubbing it with a name that honors those that frequent Parisian boulevards. The cocktail can be thought of as either a bittersweet Manhattan variation or a whiskey Negroni (you can think of the Negroni as a Boulevardier variation, because Boulevardiers appeared in print long before the Negroni).

According to Americas Test Kitchens book How to Cocktail, the cocktail originally called for equal parts bourbon or rye, Campari, and sweet vermouth. But when they put their version together, they reasoned that a smaller ratio of Campari allowed the drink to walk a fine line between bitter and sweet, while maintaining a rich lushness. And they point out that because water is added to the mix, no ice is needed. The water ensures the perfect amount of dilution.

Yield: 8 cocktails

12 ounces rye or bourbon

8 ounces Campari

8 ounces sweet vermouth

8 ounces water

Garnish: 8 orange twists, see cooks notes

Cooks notes: To make a citrus twist, use a paring knife or a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to remove a long, wide strip of peel. Try not to take too much white pith along with the colored portion of peel.

1. Combine rye, Campari, vermouth, and water in a serving pitcher or large container. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

2. Stir to recombine, then serve in chilled cocktail glasses, garnishing each cocktail with an orange twist. Big batch Boulevardiers may be refrigerated for up to 1 month, well-sealed.

Source: How to Cocktail by Americas Test Kitchen (Americas Test Kitchen, $24.99)

Sangria, with its ancient roots in Spain, has become a party drink mainstay around the globe. The folks at Americas Test Kitchen, after much experimentation, decided that they preferred a simple formula. They tested versions with untold collections of fruit and settled on this classic red wine rendition that incorporates simple citrus just oranges and lemons.

For white-wine based Sangria, they preferred the addition of apples or pears. For a ros-based version they suggest two cups of mixed fresh berries. Recipes for these variations appear at the end of the Classic Sangria recipe.

Yield: 12 cocktails

2 (750-ml) bottles fruity red wine, such as Merlot

4 ounces orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

4 ounces simple syrup, see cooks notes

3 oranges (2 sliced thin, 1 juiced to yield 4 ounces)

2 lemons, sliced thin

For serving: ice

Cooks notes: To make simple syrup, combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 5 ounces warm tap water in a bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Cool completely, about 10 minutes, before transferring to an airtight container. You can also buy simple syrup in many supermarkets in the liquor department.

1. Combine all ingredients (except ice) in serving pitcher or large container. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld and mixture is well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

2. Stir Sangria to recombine, then serve in chilled wine glasses half-filled with ice, garnishing individual portions with macerated fruit.

Variations:

White Wine Sangria: Substitute a fruity white wine, such as riesling for the red wine, brandy for the orange liqueur, 8 ounces apple juice for the orange juice, and 2 apples or pears thinly sliced for the orange and lemon slices.

Ros Sangria: Substitute a ros wine for red wine, Elderflower liqueur for the orange liqueur, 8 ounces pomegranate juice for orange juice, and 2 cups of mixed berries for the orange and lemon slices.

Source: How To Cocktail from Americas Test Kitchen (Americas Test Kitchen, $24.99)

In Maggie Hoffmans book, Batch Cocktails (Ten Speed Press, $19.99), she offers the formula for big-batch Birds Again cocktails, a tangy pour that teams sauvignon blanc and an herbal dry vermouth with basil, simple syrup, rose water and fresh lime juice. The author points out that it is a bright and refreshing mix that is a low-proof easy drinker.

She suggests that a good way to use up leftover dry vermouth on a hot day is to combine a few ounces of it in a tall ice-filled glass with twice as much tonic and a lemon wedge.

Yield: About 13 servings

15 fresh basil leaves, torn in half

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1:1) simple syrup; see cooks notes

1 1/4 teaspoons rose water; see cooks notes

2 1/4 cups chilled sauvignon blanc

2 1/4 cups chilled dry Vermouth, such as Dolin

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Ice

Garnish: 13 fresh basil leaves

Optional garnish: Freshly ground black pepper

Cooks notes: This version of simple syrup is made in 1:1 ratio. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup very hot water in a resealable container, such as a mason jar; stir to dissolve sugar. When cool, seal and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Rose water is a flavored water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is sold at supermarkets with large liquor sections, large wine stores, and online.

1. Up to two hours before serving, place basil leaves, simple syrup, and rose water in a 2-quart pitcher. Tap basil gently with a muddler or long wooden spoon, just enough to coax the flavor out; dont pulverize it. Pour in chilled sauvignon blanc, chilled vermouth, and lime juice. Stir well to combine. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2. To serve, stir mixture well. Pour mixture into ice-filled wine glasses or rocks glasses and garnish each with a basil leaf. If desired, top with a little freshly ground black pepper.

Source: Batch Cocktails by Maggie Hoffman (Ten Speed Press, $19.99)

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Recipes: If youre having a summer party, make these cocktails by the pitcher - OCRegister