The last holiday weekend of the Summer is just around the corner and if you plan on hosting a party, you might be in need of a pitcher drink. My all-time favorite cocktail that can be made in a large quantity is sangria. It's super easy to put together and tastes better when it's made a day in advance, which is perfect for entertaining. I've been experimenting with different kinds of sangria since falling in love with Spain nine years ago; here's a roundup of the best sangria recipes out there.
When it comes to specialty cocktails for an Oscars viewing, I say make a pitcher drink and make it fizzy! You could take entertaining expert Katie Lee's advice and make a pineapple strawberry concoction or go with the recipe shown here. It's a refreshing blend of citrus and vodka spiked with the sweet-tart flavor of limoncello. The effervescence comes from the addition of seltzer water. One batch serves eight, but it's easy to double or triple the recipe. The key to a delicious libation is to use fresh-squeezed lemon and orange juice, so break out your juicers! Check out the method now.
When hosting a female-centric event like a baby or bridal shower, it's important to offer a special nonalcoholic drink for those who don't sip alcohol. My favorite mocktail? Raspberry lemonade. It's a combination of fresh raspberry syrup, lemon juice, sugar, and water. What I love about this recipe is its adaptability. If it's too sweet, dilute with water. If it's too sour, add more sugar. It's also easy to turn into an alcoholic concoction, all you have to do is add sparkling wine or vodka. Fabulous! Get the recipe I like here.
One of my favorite online pastimes is browsing recipes. Not just any recipes, but appetizers and pitcher drinks (yes, I am obsessed with cocktail parties). Since I'm partial to certain recipe databases, when I come across a preparation I've never seen before, like this watermelon sangria, I'm super excited. As I read it, getting more and more giddy by the minute, I wondered, how had I never seen it before? I went through the recipe rolodex in my brain. 
There was nothing labeled watermelon sangria. I sent a link with the recipe to YumSugar asking her if it looked familiar. She had not seen it either. Thus, I made it the following day and received rave reviews. It was so refreshing and easy to drink that I made it again. And again. No joke, this watermelon sangria is my new favorite recipe! It's fruity, cooling, and addictive. Want to learn how it's done? Get the method now.
When the weather is warm and the days are long, there is no drink I crave more than sangria. The combination of wine, booze, and fruit is refreshing, comforting, and delicious. While I enjoy making pitchers of new and different sangria variations, sometimes it's nice to go back to basics. After all, there is a reason the classic red wine sangria is so popular: it really is wonderful! My recipe is from a small tapas bar in Cordoba of which I no longer remember the name. I've been enjoying this sangria for eight years and simply think there is no better traditional sangria recipe. A combination of red wine, Pellegrino Limonata, rum, Cointreau, and apple schnapps, to me, it's the ultimate Spanish sangria. Here's how I make it.
Like the competitors in the World Cup, the menu for my viewing party consists of dishes from all over the globe. For the drinks, I'm offering one sparkling specialty cocktail and assortment of beers. The signature drink is a punch that features Italian spirits: Galliano, Aperol, and Prosecco. When floated on top, fresh citrus and berries provide a festive touch to the concoction. I'll stock my fridge with beers from participating countries. Beverages and More has a great selection of imported beers. Tecate from Mexico, Becks from Germany, Fosters from Australia, Quilmes from Argentina, Bass from England — there are too many options to choose from!
Learn the easy punch recipe after the jump.
While an elegant poolside dinner may not be the most traditional of bachelorette parties, there is one classic element involved: a girlie, fizzy cocktail. Since a big group of females will be spending the weekend at a house in Calistoga, I'm going to need a large punch recipe to kick-start the festivities. Thus, I'm making this raspberry champagne punch. With vodka, orange liqueur, cherry liqueur, and sparkling wine, it's pretty potent and sure to loosen the crowd up . . . in case a stripper happens to stop by! I'll also stock up on sparkling water, white wine, and red wine.
To get the punch recipe, read more
Although I'm not a huge drinker of tea, on a hot day, I love a refreshing glass of icy cold tea. To get the party started at a Memorial Day barbecue, I suggest offering each guest a glass of spiked sweet tea upon arrival. I love this recipe because it's sort of like an adult Arnold Palmer. It's a mixture of tea, frozen lemonade concentrate, and vodka. Also stock up on an affordable white wine, like Opala Vinho Verde, and fill an ice bucket with your favorite beer.
To get the recipe for the sweet tea — it's the perfect Summer sipper to enjoy leisurely in the sun — read more
Since Twister is a somewhat personal game where bodies could potentially end up draped over one another, FabSugar and I have decided to serve a strong libation at our Twist Off. A drink that, after one glass, will have our guests loosened up and ready to play! Thus, I'll be pouring a tequila concoction. It's a refreshing mixture of tequila, pineapple juice, and club soda. It's not too sweet and it's easy to sip, meaning it's perfect for a party. The simple recipe can be doubled or tripled to suit any large crowd. Check it out after the jump.
Nothing says picnic more than lemonade, and for an Earth Day themed beach cleanup I'm packing an icebox filled with the citrus cooler. Tarragon is an unexpected flavoring agent that makes this lemonade recipe special. It takes the nostalgic childhood pitcher drink to a whole new gourmet level. It also provides a subtle herbaceous quality to the refreshing beverage. The syrup needs time to steep and cool, so get started on this concoction the day before your picnic. Look at the easy recipe when you read more
