I’m sharing 3 Pitcher-Friendly Cocktail Recipes fit for a crowd! We’ve got Classic Pitcher Margaritas, Strawberry Lemonade Basil Fizz, Peach Elderflower Gin Pitcher, and a Watermelon Mojito Mocktail! You can make them ahead of time, and you don’t have to worry about making a bunch of cocktails, one-by-one, for your guests! There is something for everyone here & all of the recipes have proven to be huge crowd pleasers!
The best way to entertain during the summer is with super refreshing cocktails & cheeseboards – but no one ever wants to individually shake cocktails for 6+ people, right?! That’s where pitcher cocktails come in! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve individually shaken cocktails for 10+ people in an evening – and that totally ends now. All of these recipes are so insanely good, super refreshing for summer, and EASY! I don’t even know if I could pick a favorite. They’re all SO good!
When I first started asking you guys what you needed help with this summer when it comes to entertaining, a bunch of you said cocktail recipes, and mocktails too!
I knew that you wouldn’t want to be slaving over your kitchen and your bar cart to individually shake cocktails for a crowd, so I came up with 3 pitcher-friendly cocktails – and there is something for everyone! From classic margs, to super refreshing strawberry lemonade basil fizzes, to a peach elderflower gin cocktail, to a watermelon mint mojito MOCKTAIL! It’s so good, you guys. I could drink that watermelon juice alllll summer long.
But they’re all amazing & I definitely couldn’t pick a favorite – so let’s get to it!
Classic Pitcher Margaritas
Oh, a good classic margarita. How I love you so. There’s nothing better to me than a plain ‘ol margarita with salt. Not too sweet, plenty of lime, tequila, and Grand Marnier. I’ve tried sweetening my margaritas with agave, but I don’t like them as much as using simple syrup. Simple syrup is what I sweeten all of my cocktail recipes with. To me, if you’re gonna have a cocktail, might as well sweeten it with the good stuff.
I don’t like super sweet cocktails – I’d say all of these are really balanced and not too sweet at all. But, they beauty of making your own cocktails, is that you can totally adjust the sweetness to your tastes! You can always start with less simple syrup, and add more if you need too! Same goes for making it sweeter – you can always add more simple syrup!
Another thing I’d highly recommend if you know you’ll be making lots of pitcher margaritas this summer – invest in a citrus juicer
Strawberry Lemonade Basil Fizz
Oh my gosh I love this one SO much. It screams summer to me, and the combination of lemonade, strawberry, and basil is downright addicting. It’s a vodka based cocktail, so it’s super light, refreshing, and very drinkable (dangerously, so, I might add!)
I find that this one tastes better and better as it sits – I like to make it ahead of time, so that flavors have time to marry. The strawberries, basil, and lemons really infuse into the drink if you make it an hour or so ahead of time. Just be sure not to add any ice until you’re ready to serve! Personally, I like to fill my glasses with crushed ice, and just pour the cocktail over ice, instead of watering the whole pitcher down with a lot of ice. For the margaritas though, I always add ice to the pitcher itself, because they’re stronger and it needs a little ice to balance everything out.
Peach Elderflower Gin Cocktail
If you don’t like gin, I promise I can convert you into a gin lover with this cocktail. I personally love gin, but I know a bunch of people who don’t, and I’ve served this cocktail to several of them – and they LOVED it. I think it’s the elderflower and the mint that add fresh and floral notes to it, along with the sweet peaches – it really creates such an incredible flavor. This is another one of those summertime drinks that never gets old. Super sippable on a hot day too!
There’s also fresh lime juice and seltzer in this, which makes it even more refreshing! The key here is to use the juiciest peaches you can find. It makes all the difference! Juicy peaches can sometimes be hard to come by – but once you find some, you absolutely need to make this! If you can’t find super ripe peaches, this would also work with nectarines, if those look better to you!
And last but certainly not least…
Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail
If you love fresh watermelon in the summer (is that even a question?), you will love this. It’s basically like drinking a glass of fresh watermelon juice with a spritz of lime, mint, and seltzer. And it’s sweetened with a honey simple syrup, so it’s completely refined sugar free! I try to make this once a week during the summer, especially during the hotter months to switch it up from water. It’s insanely refreshing, and you honestly probably won’t want to drink anything else once you try it!
All you need for this one is watermelon, mint, freshly squeezed lime juice, seltzer water, and honey! Super simple and basically summer in a glass!
For a larger party, it’s always fun to have a couple different pitcher cocktails, plus wine and beer. For something smaller, a pitcher cocktail and some beer or wine is usually what I’ll go with. I’d recommend making these pitchers at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before your guests arrive, because the flavors really marry when you let them sit a little bit. Especially since we have a bunch of fresh herbs and fruit in all of them! If you want to make them them even earlier than that, you can! I wouldn’t go more than 3 hours ahead, just because the fresh herbs are delicate. In that case, I’d keep them in the fridge to chill!
Sending all of you a big virtual cheers!
If you make any of these recipes during the series, or if I inspire you host any kind of party or get-together, be sure to tag me, @spicesinmydna, and hashtag #summerentertainingseries on Instagram or Facebook! I absolutely LOVE seeing what you guys create!
Classic Pitcher Margaritas
These Classic Pitcher Margaritas are perfectly balanced and not too sweet. All you need is lots of freshly squeezed lime juice, tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, and crushed ice! They're perfect for serving a crowd, instead of having to individually shake margaritas for your guests all night!
Ingredients
For the pitcher margaritas
- 2 cups tequila
- 1 cup Grand Marnier
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice*
- the simple syrup
- crushed ice
- thinly sliced lime, for garnish
- coarse margarita salt for rimming your glasses
For the simple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
Instructions
Begin by making the simple syrup. Add water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
To make the margaritas, fill a large pitcher about halfway with crushed ice (if you're serving right away - if not, don't add the ice until right before you serve it!). Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, the cooled simple syrup, and a handful of thinly sliced limes. Stir to combine. Rim your glasses with coarse salt, and fill with crushed ice. Pour over the crushed ice, and garnish with a lime slice!
Recipe Notes
*Since this recipe calls for a lot of lime juice, I'd highly recommend getting a citrus juicer like this one
Strawberry Lemonade Basil Fizz
This Strawberry Lemonade Basil Fizz is a super light & refreshing summer cocktail! It's made with vodka, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemonade, strawberries, basil, a touch of simple syrup, and sparkling water! Literally summer in a glass.
Ingredients
For the cocktail pitcher
- 1 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups lemonade*
- the simple syrup
- 1/2 pound strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sparkling water
- crushed ice
- sliced strawberries and basil leaves for garnish
For the simple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
Begin by making the simple syrup. Add water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
To make the pitcher, add vodka, lemon juice, lemonade, and simple syrup to a large pitcher. Add the strawberries, basil leaves, and lemon slices and stir to combine. Finish with the sparkling water. (I like to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour to let all of the flavors marry.) Serve over glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with additional strawberry slices and basil leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
*Be sure to use the good quality, freshly squeezed lemonade (the kind that has pulp) for this recipe. It tastes a lot better than the more processed kind!
*I find this cocktail tastes best when it sits for an hour or so in the fridge before you serve it to let all of the flavors marry. You can make it up to 3 hours in advance (any longer than that, and the basil starts to darken and get weird). Keep it in the fridge to chill!
Peach Elderflower Gin Cocktail
This Peach Elderflower Gin Cocktail is the cocktail that will make everyone love gin! It's super refreshing, made with juicy summer peaches, fresh mint, and lime juice. The gin and elderflower liqueur balance each other out beautifully. This cocktail is the perfect mix of floral and refreshing, and it's super sippable!
Ingredients
For the pitcher
- 3/4 cup gin
- 1/2 cup elderflower liqueur
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- the simple syrup
- 3 ripe peaches, thinly sliced
- generous handful of mint
- 1 1/2 cups sparkling water
- crushed ice
- thinly sliced peach and mint leaves for garnish
For the simple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
Begin by making the simple syrup. Add water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
To make the pitcher, add the gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup to a large pitcher. Stir to combine. Add the peaches, mint, and sparkling water and stir to combine. (I like to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour to let all of the flavors marry.) Serve over glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with peach slices and fresh mint if desired.
Recipe Notes
*I find this cocktail tastes best when it sits for an hour or so in the fridge before you serve it to let all of the flavors marry. You can make it up to 3 hours in advance (any longer than that, and the mint starts to darken and get weird). Keep it in the fridge to chill!
Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail
This Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail is basically like drinking a glass of fresh watermelon juice with a spritz of lime, mint, and seltzer. It's sweetened with a honey simple syrup, so it's completely refined sugar free! It's insanely refreshing, and you honestly probably won't want to drink anything else once you try it!
Ingredients
For the mocktail
- 8 cups cubed watermelon
- 1/3 cup packed fresh mint
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- the honey simple syrup
- 3/4 cup sparkling water
- crushed ice
- coarse margarita salt for rimming the glasses, optional
- lime slices and fresh mint leaves for garnish
For the honey simple syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup honey
Instructions
Begin by making the simple syrup. Add water and honey to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir until honey "dissolves" into the water. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
To make the mocktail, add watermelon chunks to a high powered blender (you might need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender). Blend on high until smooth. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the watermelon juice through the strainer. Discard the pulp.
Pour fresh watermelon juice to a large pitcher. Add the mint, lime juice, and honey simple syrup. Stir to combine. Finish with the sparkling water. Pour over glasses filled with crushed ice. (If you'd like, you can rim your glasses in coarse margarita salt too - the watermelon + salt combo is amazing!) Garnish with a mint spring and a slice of lime.
Recipe Notes
*Since this recipe calls for a lot of lime juice, I'd highly recommend getting a citrus juicer like this one
There may be an affiliate link(s) in this post, which means that if you click on a product link above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you SO much for reading!
For the Peach Elderflower Gin Cocktail, it is not specified how much syrup is needed. help?
Hi Nina! So sorry about that! I just updated the recipe to reflect the amount. Let me know if you try it! 🙂