[JRogers]

Having a dinner party on Satruday night and want to make a drink for it. Not sure what we're eating yet, probably risotto and whatever else people bring. Not that I care too much because it's my birthday that day and I will probably end up drinking, um, a lot. We'll have beer and wine too, just want something that I can mix up ahead of time.

I've done sangria and punch before, which are always good. just wondering if anyone had any other ideas or any good recipes for either of those options.

 

[OGRipper]

When I was in college we'd make something called a Manson cocktail for big parties. It had everclear, vodka, tequila, grape juice, and orange soda in it and it came out a very nasty green.

Don't make that.

If you can help us out with a theme or some better idea of what kind of food it will be a lot easier. Or make a quadruple bowl of this:

SHARK BOWL PARTY DRINK

12 or more blue gummy sharks
24 or more ice cubes
12 oz. can lemonade concentrate
12 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
1 liter bottle tonic water
Dash of grenadine
2 liter bottle Seven-Up
2 shots gin
3 shots white rum
3 shots vodka
The longest straws you can find (one for each person)
Punch bowl or other lg. shallow bowl

Mix lemonade concentrate, cranberry juice, tonic water, and Seven Up until the frozen concentrate dissolves. Add alcohol, gummy sharks, and ice. The sharks are the best part.

Serves 4-6.

 

[JRogers]

Well, just for the record, I made wassail to go with the kind of winter/fall theme we had going (butternut squash risotto was a main dish...and it was freezing out).

Just used what I had around. I wanted it to have a lot of flavor (better taste, better smell and hides more booze):
-apple cider (little less than a gallon)
-cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks (some ground and some whole of all three of the spices; used a large teabag to hold the whole cloves and allspice; ground some right in with a pepper grinder)
-lemon (1) and orange (2) combo of zest, peel, juice and slices
-1 cored, sliced apple
-cranberry juice (not much, but enough to taste it a bit)
-a bit of white wine

Heated that up in a large pot and cooked it on low heat a bit to get all the flavors out. Transferred most of it to a large crock pot to keep it warm (didn't heat up the crock pot early enough, otherwise I probably would have cooked it in that) and added a bunch of Meyer's dark rum along with a some bourbon (Wild Turkey). Kept the leftover on the stove for refills of the crock pot and to have a non-alcoholic option for people.

Overall, people liked it a lot. As expected, it was quite sweet, though not overpowering. Definitely a good drink for parties where you want to warm everyone up.

 

[TreeSaw]

Well, just for the record, I made wassail to go with the kind of winter/fall theme we had going (butternut squash risotto was a main dish...and it was freezing out).

Just used what I had around. I wanted it to have a lot of flavor (better taste, better smell and hides more booze):
-apple cider (little less than a gallon)
-cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks (some ground and some whole of all three of the spices; used a large teabag to hold the whole cloves and allspice; ground some right in with a pepper grinder)
-lemon (1) and orange (2) combo of zest, peel, juice and slices
-1 cored, sliced apple
-cranberry juice (not much, but enough to taste it a bit)
-a bit of white wine

Heated that up in a large pot and cooked it on low heat a bit to get all the flavors out. Transferred most of it to a large crock pot to keep it warm (didn't heat up the crock pot early enough, otherwise I probably would have cooked it in that) and added a bunch of Meyer's dark rum along with a some bourbon (Wild Turkey). Kept the leftover on the stove for refills of the crock pot and to have a non-alcoholic option for people.

Overall, people liked it a lot. As expected, it was quite sweet, though not overpowering. Definitely a good drink for parties where you want to warm everyone up.

Sounds tastey! And Happy belated birthday.

I love butternut squash risotto too