A good summer punch can turn a run-of-the-mill get-together into an unforgettable par-tay. And if it’s easy to make, even better. That’s why we tapped bartender Nick Detrich, a partner at Cane & Table in New Orleans—a city that knows how to enjoy its easy-drinking summer cocktails—to come up with a few five-ingredient punches suitable for long, lazy afternoons.
“When you think about fresh pineapples, limes, watermelon, and all these juicy fruits that are around, there’s a prime advantage to making punch in the summertime,” Detrich says. “Pick a punch that you really like and just own it. Have one really solid go-to so that you don’t even have to think about it.”
And if plain old punch bowls are too simple, feel free to follow our lead and serve these drinks inside the hollowed-out fruits that inspired the punches in the first place. Because simple doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it. But there's more good news: These fruit-forward punches taste just as good in a punch glass. It's up to you to choose how they're served. Here are three summer recipes that will have your pals happily sipping the afternoon away.
Heat-to-Heat Punch
This basil-infused puréed watermelon punch will go fast, trust us. It's essentially a drinkable form of air-conditioning. You know, the kind that that won't run up the electric bill.
Barbados Gin Punch
Some drink coconut water to cure a hangover. Us? Well, we drink it beforehand too, with plenty of gin and lime juice to boot. This cocktail is the tropical vacation you've been dreaming about, without leaving the backyard.
Varadero Cooler
You thought we were getting through this list without cutting open a pineapple? Come on. This rum-fueled punch is all about the marriage of grapefruit and pineapple, two fruits that want your summer to be one of legend.