Mix These Easy Batch Cocktails For Match Day Fun
If hosting a match viewing party at home brings together the best of two worlds — your favourite sport and your favourite people — then batch cocktails too represent the same sentiment. Batch cocktails were invented for the express purpose of keeping a large gathering in good ‘spirits’, without the tediousness of mixing innumerable single serves. With that ethos in mind, we’ve compiled an array of batch cocktails that will complement your gang’s match day vibe perfectly!
Classic Rum Punch
Few batch cocktails can boast the legacy that the Rum Punch does. It was the drink for a crowd before “batch cocktails” were even a thing. We’ll save a detour down its storied history for another day, but suffice it to say that the Punch’s story spans continents and eras.
The version commonly enjoyed has a mix of white and dark rum, along with orange and pineapple juice, a bit of lime juice, and a dash of grenadine. But you can also mix a pretty straightforward three-ingredient version.
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To make 6-8 servings of Punch, mix two cups of Captain Morgan Dark Rum with four cups of pineapple juice, one of orange juice, and a quarter of grenadine. (For a non-alcoholic variant, simply leave out the rum and adjust the proportions of the juices to grenadine, by taste.)
Coconut Rum Punch
This three-ingredient version of the Rum Punch has a distinctive coconut flavour — courtesy actual coconut cream. For a yield of 7-8 servings, mix two cups of a dark rum like Captain Morgan with four cups of coconut cream and two cups of pineapple juice. You could also make this into a virgin piña colada instead, by leaving out the rim and blending the coconut cream (or milk) with pineapple juice and plenty of ice cubes.
Ginger Mojito Mocktail
Looking for something gingery and cirtrusy and refreshing to your guests? Look no further than this very zesty Ginger Mojito. To make up to eight servings, you’ll need the following:
4 cups of ginger ale (we recommend Black & White Ginger Ale)
4 cups of sparkling water
A handful of mint leaves — you’ll need at least 24 leaves
Juice of two lines
A four-inch piece of cucumber, grated
A 3-4 inch piece of ginger, grated (adjust as per taste)
You know what comes next: The ginger and cucumber must be muddled with the lime juice and the juices so released strained it into your pitcher. Gently press the mint leaves in your palms a few times to release their oils and fragrance, then drop these into the pitcher too. Put ice into the pitcher, and then top with the Black & White Ginger Ale, followed by the sparkling water. Garnish with lemon wheels or sprigs of mint.
Pear Punch
We’re back with another rum punch, this time incorporating the flavour and freshness of pears. Take a sip as your team scores, to make the moment even sweeter. You’ll need about 950 ml to a litre of pear nectar (store bought or homemade), two cups — that’s about 500 ml — of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, 220 ml of fresh lemon juice, a tablespoon of bitters, and 700 ml of ginger beer along with some thinly sliced pears.
To make this party-for-eight in a pitcher come together, mix the pear nectar, spiced rum, lemon juice and bitters. Top with ginger beer. Prep your guests’ glasses with slices of pear and ice cubes. When they’re ready for their drink, pour in the punch, and enjoy!
3-Ingredient Watermelon Vodka Punch
This one’s for when your plans have been made at the eleventh hour and you barely have time to set the couch and chips in order before your friends come in for the kick-off. Take two cups of vodka (Smirnoff is a good bet), and mix with four cups of freshly blended watermelon juice as well as a quarter cup of fresh lime juice. Chill and serve. (These measures yield between 6-8 servings.)
The Cranberry 75 Punch
This batch cocktail requires the teensiest bit more effort (and the use of a bundt cake pan, but not for baking!) than some of the others mentioned here, but dare we say, the final results merit the few extra seconds? And we promise, even with an additional step or two, your punch will always be ready to serve before the coin toss.
What you’ll need for about eight servings —
2-3 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries (depending on what’s available at your grocery store), plus more for serving
3 clementines, thinly sliced (you can substitute with mandarins or another orange variety)
8 cups of your preferred brand of cranberry juice
2 cups of gin (we recommend Gordon’s London Dry Gin)
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (you can substitute with mandarins or another orange variety))
1 bottle (750 ml) of your preferred sparkling white wine
In the bundt cake pan, scatter the cranberries and citrus fruit evenly. Add enough water to cover the fruit and set it in the freezer for a few hours. In a punch bowl, mix the cranberry and citrus juices along with the gin. Demould the cranberry-clementine ice ring from the bundt pan and add it to your punch bowl, along with any additional cranberries you’ve set aside. Top with sparkling wine as your guests begin to troop in, and serve.
Just a reminder that you'll want to serve and enjoy these cocktails responsibly to make the best match day memories!
