Welcome to our cocktail series, The Happy Hour. It's Friday afternoon. Make yourself a drink.
What's that you say? You have plans every night until New Year's Eve starting a week from today? Right-o: Winter cocktail party season 2K11 is officially here.
When a gathering involves more than four guests and you don't happen to be a professional bartender, punch comes in handy. There's no last-minute muddling or shaking, and people can serve themselves. Plus, punch has its own unique way of launching a party. How easy is it to make? Consider the origin of its name--from the Hindi panch, meaning "five"--as the first clue: Simply mix five ingredients (alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices) and you're bound to have a more-than-decent drink. Throw in a decorative ice mold, some bubbly wine, and serve it in a vintage punch bowl (although a big stockpot and a soup ladle will do, obviously) and you've got a real conversation starter. Punch is easy: Don't complicate it.