Not just for high school dances and church socials anymore, shareable punch has made its way back to the bar scene. These large, social drinks are available by the glass, pitcher, bowl, or carafe. Skip the standard issue mimosa carafe or pitcher of beer, and try these instead.
Elizabeth Street Cafe
The Gin Dragon (Glass or Carafe): Drawing from all corners of the globe, the Gin Dragon mixes London dry gin with tiki-style sweetener velvet falernum, and spices it up with jalapenos and Thai basil.
Whisler’s
House Punch (Saturday and Sunday only; Glass): Keeping things fresh, this recipe changes weekly; look for the blackboard at the end of the bar.
Kemuri Tatsuya
Puff Puff Pass (bowl): Made with Japanese Shochu and aged rum, this beauty is served in a pufferfish glass.
L’Oca d’Oro
Immondizia Partito (Glass): Made fresh every day, this white wine-based punch is halfway spritz, halfway sangria, and half off on happy hour.
North Italia
Red Sangria (Glass or Carafe): This classic Sangria made with red wine and brandy, packed with enough fruit to make it feel healthy is perfect for the patio.
Cosmic Coffee
Tornillo Margarita (Glass or Carafe): Mixing silver tequila with funky sotol, this massive margarita is also made with hibiscus and prickly pear for a more floral cocktail.
Small Victory
Philadelphia Fish House Punch: One of the great and classic punches – a mixture of rum, brandies, and black tea, Small Victory does punch in style.
Azul Rooftop Pool & Lounge
Bubbly Bees Knees (Glass or Carafe): It’s the love-child of two classic cocktails (the French 75 and the Bees Knees), so sip on this with your friends at the pool bar at the Westin.
Upstairs at Caroline
La Limonada (Glass or Carafe): A Peruvian pisco is spiced up with cayenne candy and angostura bitters in this simplified sour.
Punch Bowl Social
It’s a Mer-Man’s World (Glass or Carafe): An aptly named bar and restaurant makes this bourbon-based punch with a pineapple-papaya tea and a cardamom syrup.
Hillside Farmacy
House Punch (Glass or Bowl): This one’s light and refreshing. Hillside Farmacy combines hibiscus syrup, grapefruit juice, gin, and sparkling wine (i.e., the best gin and juice you will find).
This article appears in Blaze Foley.