Although I love to entertain year-round, there’s something special about having people over in the summer for grilling and other backyard shenanigans. Most of the time, I’m opening a few bottles of wine to make things easy on myself, but occasionally I like to make a punch, which is almost as low-maintenence. I’ve already waxed poetic about the best whiskeys to enjoy during the summer, so you know it’s an excellent spirit to drink on even the hottest days. So I tapped four pro bartenders to share their best whiskey punch recipes so you have something excellent to serve at your next gathering.

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If you’re not familiar with sorrel, it’s a tangy, perennial herb that’s known for its lemony flavor. At Casanara in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood, the bar team makes it into a spiced syrup that adds some zing to bourbon and Campari. “This drink leans into refreshing whiskey drinks, adding a little bit of orange and fresh citrus,” says co-founder Tom Roughton. “Would be a hit at a summer party.” If you don’t want to make sorrel syrup from scratch, you can buy sorrel juice and sweeten it with sugar for a quicker version.

Boundary Tester

Servings: 20

Ingredients

30 oz. bourbon
10 oz. triple sec
10 oz. Campari
15 oz. sorrel syrup
15 oz. fresh lemon juice
20 oz. water (skip if putting in a pitcher or punch bowl with ice)
Citrus wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a punch bowl or large pitcher and stir. Add ice to chill down. Set up a plate of citrus wedges next to to the cups so people can garnish their own drinks.

“I love making a whiskey punch in the summer because I’ll often have tons of fresh fruit from the farmer’s market in my fridge,” says Samantha Reiner, food and beverage director at Porchlight. “A punch is great to serve for a group and easy to do on the fly because you can be a bit creative and loose with the specific ingredients — it’s mostly about nailing the proportions for balance. I tend to always return to this classic template for punch at Porchlight, where we’ve served it by the flask at happy hour for 10 years!”

Porchlight’s Summer Whiskey Punch

Servings: 12-15

Ingredients

2 cups seasonal summer fruit (think peaches, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots or a mix)
2 cups sugar
1 liter Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
500 ml. iced black tea
500 ml. fruit syrup (recipe below)
500 ml. water or soda water (skip if putting in a pitcher or punch bowl with ice)
250 ml. lemon juice

Directions

For the fruit syrup:
1. Remove skin, pits and stems of the fruit and chop to measure 2 cups. Blend the fruit with 2 cups of sugar, adding a tablespoon of water if needed.
For the cocktail:
1. Add the bourbon, black tea, fruit syrup and lemon juice to a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir and chill down with ice.

“This drink is a smooth Old Fashioned twist that is less sweet and more bourbon-focused,” says Nihat Cam, director of Bars at Tampa Edition. “We serve this drink directly from our barrels at Punch Room, which allows us to capture all the aromas from the wood. Our focus for the Punch Room menu is ‘Americas,’ and as we explore different regions, we believe Kentucky is one of the highlights because of its remarkable bourbon industry.”

Kentucky

Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sorghum syrup
1 split vanilla bean
1 750ml-bottle Maker’s Mark
1 cup vanilla sorghum syrup (recipe below)
2 cups chilled coconut water
4 dashes English breakfast tea bitters (or a splash of strong-brewed tea)

Directions

For the vanilla sorghum syrup:
1. Simmer the water, sorghum syrup and split vanilla bean for 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool, strain and store.
For the cocktail:
1. Stir everything in a pitcher or punch bowl and chill. Serve over ice.

“We basically batch everything — it makes serving drinks for any party super easy, reduces mess and gives you no opportunity to mess them up!” says Kelsey Ramage, co-founder of Black Lagoon Pop-Up. “Here is a wonderful whiskey cocktail that would work great for a group. Its ingredients are really simple to make, so preparing it is a breeze. Add a little water for dilution, or it can sit over a large rock, punch-style.”

Nosferatu’s Rise

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 liter rye whiskey
100 grams coconut oil
16 oz. coconut oil rye whiskey (recipe below)
2 oz. Lustau Amontillado Sherry
2 oz. cinnamon syrup
16 dashes Bitter Queens Caribbean Bitters
8 dashes saline

Directions

For the coconut oil rye whiskey:
1. Melt the coconut oil and let cool. Add the oil and rye whiskey to a container with a lid. Stir to incorporate. Let sit at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, agitating occasionally.
2. Place the mixture in the freezer overnight for a minimum of 8 hours. Once the oil has solidified, use a coffee filter to strain the coconut oil out of the whiskey.
For the cocktail:
1. Add the coconut oil rye whiskey, sherry, cinnamon syrup, bitters and saline to a punch bowl or carafe and stir. Chill down with ice and serve.

Meet your guide

Amanda Gabriele

Amanda is InsideHook’s Senior Editor and has been writing about food, drinks, travel and style for 16 years. She’s written for Travel + Leisure, Eater, Gear Patrol and New York Magazine among other outlets.