Fourth of July cocktails for a crowd: Punch, sangria and a Boston Sidecar

The goal of any good Fourth of July party is to have your guests happily tipsy, nibbling on ribs, burgers, hot dogs or whatever happens to be on your grill that day.

And the easiest way to achieve a sense of Fourth of July euphoria is with a big batch of cocktails. Because the last thing you want to do at a party is get stuck behind the bar.

So stock up on ice and make a couple different types of punch, sangria or a Boston Sidecar for your party.

You can find the recipe for a basil berry wine punch below, which serves six to eight people. And don’t forget these red, white and blue cocktail ice cubes.

And we’ve got 10 more drinks to mix for a crowd here.

BASIL BERRY WINE PUNCH

Total time: 10 minutes, plus 2 to 3 hours infusing time | Serves 6 to 8

1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint blackberries
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/4 cup torn mint leaves
1 bottle Pinot Gris, chilled
1/3 cup red Cinzano
1 (10-ounce) bottle chilled club soda
1 lime, thinly sliced
6 raspberries
6 blackberries
Ice cubes

1. Puree the raspberries, blackberries and simple syrup in a blender. Pour the puree into a glass bowl.

2. Crush the torn basil and mint leaves with your hands and stir into the pureed berries in the bowl. Cover and let stand 2 to 3 hours for the flavors to meld.

3. Strain the berries, pressing on the solids to extract all of the juices, and pour the strained syrup into a tall pitcher. Add the bottle of chilled wine. Stir in the Cinzano.

4. Top it off with a bottle of club soda and stir in lime slices, 6 raspberries and 6 blackberries and ice cubes just before serving.

Each serving: 85 calories; 0 protein; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 6 mg. sodium.
Sometimes a lush but always classy about it. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Jenn_Harris_