Go Big: 39 Cocktails That Scale

Here are 43 ideas for cocktails with just a few ingredients so you can scale them as big and boozy as you want.

May 8, 2015

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Have you ever wanted to be the host or hostess with the most(est)? Or perhaps the very best guest? Those honors usually come with one thing: booze, and lots of it. Instead of going with a punch—though we'll never turn it down if you offer—we think it's time to scale up a cocktail that only seems complex. Here are 39 ideas for cocktails with just a few ingredients so you can scale them as big and boozy as you want.

Photo by Chelsie Craig
1/39
Batch Old-Fashioneds
Mixing drinks to order is for chumps. Instead, stash a big bottle of batched old-fashioneds in your freezer for last-minute guests.
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Craig Cutler
2/39
The Strawberry Muddle
Crush a box of strawberries, throw them in a pitcher, then add water, sugar, lemon, prosecco and ice. And, voilà, you've got yourself a refined spritzer almost instantly.
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Danny Kim
3/39
Sparkling Tarragon Gin Lemonade
Muddling extracts essentail oils to deliver maximum herb impact. Tarragon flavors the boozy lemonade here, but basil makes an excellent sub.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton
4/39
Paloma
The margarita's sexier cousin is also easy to make, and easier to scale.
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Alex Lau
5/39
New-New Bloody Mary
Our favorite Bloody Mary is an instant classic. Great-quality tomato juice, bright lemon juice, savory Worcestershire, and a tangy hot sauce deliver on all fronts.
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6/39
Michelada
The Mexican answer to the Bloody Mary calls for a mix of tomato juice, orange juice, and beer. Stir to combine and serve in a pitcher with lots of lime.
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7/39
Gin and Tonic
The Gin and Tonic is swinging again, thanks to new distillers who have made gin cool. And it doesn't get more classic than this recipe.
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8/39
Sazerac
Mix this New Orleans classic hours ahead of time, says Andrew Volk, of Maine's Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.
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Zach DeSart
9/39
Celery Tonic
"The herbal notes of gin pair well with celery in this refreshing cocktail—and bonus points for the cool green color." –Claire Saffitz, associate food editor
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Jarren Vink
10/39
Spicy Bourbon-Citrus Cocktail
The ice in this spicy grapefruit cocktail dilutes the drink over time, so you can keep sipping well into the party.
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Jamie Chung
11/39
Agave Margarita
The key to scaling a classic margarita is tasting as you go. Not too sweet, not too salty, not too citrusy, this agave margarita will be pitcher-ready if you keep the ratios intact.
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12/39
The New York Sour
This wine-spiked whiskey sour is our pick for comeback cocktail of the year.
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Ashley Rodriguez
13/39
Watermelon Sugar
Make sure you load up the pitcher with chunks of watermelon, because those are going to be your boozy besties by the time this drink is done.
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Christopher Testani
14/39
Extra Stormy Dark and Stormy
Make sure to make the lemon-ginger brew in advance. This punchy take on the dark and stormy will make you, and all your drinking buddies, converts.
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Associate Web Editor. When she’s not posted up at a café, reading and praying that sipping her cappuccino won’t mean sacrificing a night’s sleep, Elyssa writes about food culture and restaurant trends for bonappetit.com. The team’s unrelenting sweet tooth and beverage nerd, Elyssa can also be found refreshing the Wait-or-Buy ... Read More

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