Serving cocktails at a house party has a very sophisticated and upscale feel to it. When you have a modest gathering, it is also feasible. But since this is a New Year's Eve celebration, when some guests will be sipping alcohol to drown their woes from the previous year while others will be rejoicing for a new year, it would be silly for you to serve drinks the entire time. Make your cocktails in bulk instead, and let guests help themselves. The simplest things to accomplish are bulk cocktails served in punch bowls, carafes, or large jugs with careful planning and preparation before to the celebration. The nicest thing about pitcher cocktails is that you can genuinely enjoy your party instead of worrying about serving drinks in the middle of it.
You don't have to steer clear of other traditional drinks, even if some of them, including Long Island iced teas, margaritas, mojitos, sangrias, and punches, are meant to be produced in large quantities. Although it is not a typical pitcher cocktail, the traditional bourbon cocktail does lend itself well to bulking up. The traditional Kentucky Derby cocktail is made with just two measures of bourbon, seven to eight mint sprigs, one sugar cube, half a measure of simple syrup, and a ton of shaved ice. It is advisable to infuse fresh mint into the simple syrup before combining it with whisky to make a "batched" pre-mix if you're making a large quantity. Serve the bourbon premix and soda in a 1:1 ratio with loads of ice the day of the event. Garnishing with fresh mint sprigs is entirely optional.
For your New Year's Eve party, we present several cocktail ideas if you're looking for pitcher drink inspiration.
Rosé Sangria
Ingredients:
2 750ml bottles of rosé wine
120ml Vodka or brandy
320ml Cranberry juice
30ml Black currant syrup
Ice for chilling
Fresh fruits; plums or strawberry
Method: Mix all the ingredients in a large jug or punch bowl. Use cold wine and cranberry juice bottles. Serve alongside fruit.
Picante
Ingredients:
720 ml Tequila
120 ml Agave nectar
120 ml Lime juice
120 gm Cilantro
12 pcs Green chillies
360 ml Pineapple juice
Method: In a jar with the agave nectar, muddle the peppers. Add the other ingredients and thoroughly combine with ice. Put the strained liquid in a chilled carafe. Use a coupe to serve.
Negroni
Ingredients:
580 ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
580 ml sweet vermouth
300 ml Campari
Method: Pour all the ingredients into a large, ice-filled container, and whisk vigorously. Pour it through a strainer into a bottle or a carafe, then refrigerate it. Serve with a large piece of ice in a rock glass.
Winter Bee's Knees
Ingredients:
500 ml gin
180 ml lemon juice
120 ml acacia honey
Method: All the ingredients should be combined in a container with ice cubes. To duplicate the traditional cocktail shake, combine all the ingredients with an electric hand whisk. Pour the cocktail into a carafe after straining. Use a martini glass to serve.
One in Melon
Ingredients:
800 ml Vodka
400 ml Amaro Montenegro
600 ml watermelon juice
300 ml Lime acid
300 ml Green apple syrup
Garnish with Chupa Chups sour candy
Method: In a sizable mixing jar, combine all the ingredients. Use coffee filter paper to strain the entire mixture to obtain a clearer mixture. It should be chilled before serving and stored in a bottle. The serving size for each cocktail is 90 ml.
Takeaway
To achieve greater balance, it is always ideal to infuse simple syrup with delicate flavours and aromatics. Don't take sugar for granted; it might throw your cocktail off balance all by itself. Instead of using cubes or granulated versions, syrup made from 1:1 water and sugar is simpler to work with when making a large number of cocktails. Keep a ton of ice on hand for your bar. The majority of large-batch cocktails are intended to be served over ice. However, adding ice to drinks in advance is not a good idea because the dilution will cause the drink's balance to change as the party goes on. Similarly, you cannot prepare your cocktail before the party by adding any aerated mixers or ingredients. Your drink won't taste good because it will go flat. Have a lot of water on hand. Since it is simple to misjudge a pitcher of cocktails' strength, staying hydrated is essential.