Spring brings more opportunities for sun-drenched social gatherings, and few things better suit those kind of bright and airy soirees than cocktail punch.
Why punch? A large format make-ahead tipple served in a punch bowl or pitcher is an easy way to get a drink in guests' hands quickly, leaving the host free to mingle and keep things lively. DIY bottled punches also make great gifts if you're invited over for a fire-pit hang.
Fortunately, San Antonio-made products can help punch up your punch and make for boozy good times. Let's run down a few recipes that will keep guests smiling while supporting creators of local flavors.
Grilled Pineapple Punch with Maverick Distilling Agave Blanco
Sure, you could use tequila for this fresh, pleasantly complex cocktail, but it's hard to beat the Agave Blanco produced by Maverick Spirits (115 Broadway, (210) 447-7010, maverickwhiskey.com). The locally produced spirit offers similar flavors to traditional tequila, including agave, vanilla and honeysuckle, and it allows you to support a local business. Featuring charred pineapple, lime and a kick from poblano liqueur, this punch also lets guests add their own garnishes, such as mint sprigs and jalapeño slices, so they can customize to their tastes.
Ingredients
20 ounces Maverick Distilling Agave Blanco
4 ounces Ancho Reyes Verde poblano liqueur
12 ounces pineapple juice
Juice from 4 to 5 limes, approximately 4
ounces
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into
spears
Mint sprigs, lime wheels and jalapeño slices,
for garnish
Unsweetened sparkling water, for serving
Thread pineapple spears onto bamboo skewers and grill over medium heat until charred on both sides. Let cool and chop into one-inch cubes. Set aside. Combine Agave Blanco, Ancho Reyes Verde, pineapple juice and lime juice in a large pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready, drop a cube or two of pineapple into the bottom of each glass and add a generous amount of ice. Fill each glass about 3/4 full with punch, and top each evenly with sparkling water. Invite guests to garnish with mint sprigs, lime wheels and jalapeño slices, as desired.
White Wine Sangria with ReRooted:210's Albariño
White wine-based sangrias aren't as widely quaffed as their red counterparts, and we just don't get that. A crisp, dry white wine such as the albariño produced by ReRooted:210 (623 Hemisfair Boulevard, Suite 106, (210) 239-9763, rerootedwine.com) acts as a perfect base for fruit and brandy to meld, creating a lighter variation on the traditional red Spanish punch. Texas citrus shines from October through mid-May, so don't skimp on Texas grown grapefruit, oranges and lemons, which will add brightness and flavor.
Ingredients
2 bottles ReRooted:210 Albariño
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
6 cups sliced grapefruit, oranges and lemons
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
8 ounces brandy
Unflavored sparkling water
Place sliced fruit in a large bowl, add the sugar and toss gently. Leave to macerate for about an hour in the fridge. Add the fruit, brandy and wine to a large pitcher and let the mixture meld in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to serve, add ice to glasses and pour sangria over, filling each glass about 3/4 of the way. Pull some of the soaked fruit from the pitcher and add to each glass. Fill the glass the rest of the way with sparkling water and enjoy immediately.
Summer Shandy Punch with Roadmap Brewing's Professor Plum's Alibi
A shandy is nothing more than a mixed drink of beer and lemonade or lemon soda, but Roadmap Brewing (723 North Alamo St., 210-254-9962, roadmapbrewing.com) produces a delectable plum-tinged kettle sour that can soup up this style of sipper. The beer is soured in the boil kettle before lactose sugar and over 200 pounds of plums go into the mix, creating a balance of tartness and sweetness. This sets the stage for a slightly effervescent, just-yeasty-enough day-drinking option.
Ingredients
Two 16-ounce cans Roadmap Brewing
Professor Plum's Alibi
32 ounces lemonade
Lemon wheels, for garnish
Mix equal parts beer and lemonade in a pitcher and chill. Add ice, if desired, to each glass and fill with shandy. Garnish with lemon wheels.
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