Pitcher Cocktails are a host’s best friend. Make-ahead friendly, these delicious drinks won’t keep you tied to the bar cart for the whole party! From sangria and spritzes to juleps, margaritas, and more, I’ve got summer’s best pitcher cocktails (and mocktails) ready and waiting…
VODKA pitcher cocktails
Vodka is the most versatile liquor in the bar. Because it has such a clean, neutral flavor, vodka is the perfect base for all sorts of pitcher cocktails. Use vodka when you really want the natural flavors of your drink to shine through, especially light fruity flavors.
HIBISCUS CHERRY VODKA SPRITZ ~ Half Baked Harvest
- BLACKBERRY AND GINGER COCKTAIL ~ Bon Appetit
- VANILLA GREYHOUND PITCHER COCKTAIL ~ Brooklyn Homemaker
- BLOODY MARY PITCHER ~ Grey Goose
RUM pitcher cocktails
Rum is one of my favorites, perfect when you want a summery, island vibe for your pitcher cocktail. From crisp mojitos to exotic tikis, there’s a rum drink for every mood.
INVERNESS COCKTAIL PITCHERS ~ Honestly Yum
- MOJITO PITCHER ~ The Live-In Kitchen
- PINEAPPLE SANGRIA ~ Fed and Fit
- BLOOD ORANGE BLACKBERRY RUM PUNCH ~ Heather Christo
- HONEY FLORAL ICED TEA PITCHER COCKTAIL ~ The Inspired Home
WHISKEY pitcher cocktails
Whiskey might not sound like your summertime alcohol of choice, but it makes a great and unexpected addition to a fruity sangria, and forms the base for the classic mint julep!
GREEN IRISH WHISKEY SANGRIA ~ Sugar & Charm
- STRAWBERRY PEACH SWEET TEA JULEP PITCHER ~ Half Baked Harvest
- SAZERAC PITCHERS ~ Real Simple
- SPIKED LEMONADE SWEET TEA ~ Southern Living
TEQUILA pitcher cocktails
A pitcher of margaritas is about as classic as it gets, so be sure you’ve got an ample supply of tequila on hand before your next gathering. Tequila works great with summer fruit like melons, mangoes, guava, and berries, as well as citrus of all kinds.
CLASSIC PITCHER MARGARITAS ~ College Housewife
- EASY PITCHER PALOMAS ~ Fed and Fit
- WATERMELON COOLER ~ Saveur
- STRAWBERRY BASIL MARGARITA PITCHER ~ The Kitchn
GIN pitcher cocktails
Gin’s assertive juniper flavor likes to shine, so keep the flavors light…citrus, cucumber, tonic, etc.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PITCHERS ~ The Inspired Home
- STRAWBERRY GIN SMASH PITCHERS ~ kitchn
- LAVENDER PEA LEMONADE PITCHER ~ @COLLJEFFERS
- BLACKBERRY COLLINS ~ Bon Appetit
- GIN & TONIC PITCHERS ~ Field & Stream
WINE pitcher cocktails
Wine is the the perfect canvas for a cooling summer drink. Just about any fruit you can think of makes a delicious, cooling sangria, and the great thing is you can use an inexpensive red, white, or rosé (traditional is red.) As a rule the whites do well with citrus, and the rosés and reds are wonderful with berries and stone fruits ~ but mix and match!.
GINGER CANTALOUPE SANGRIA ~ Kitchen Confidante
- SPICY WATERMELON SANGRIA ~ How Sweet Eats
- SWEET TEA SANGRIA ~ The Cookie Rookie
- MIMOSA PITCHERS ~ Diethood
- SUMMER PEACH AND BASIL SANGRIA
pitcher MOCKTAILS
For the non-drinkers and under-agers in your group there are tons of delicious and stunning options from exotic lemonades and iced teas to creative pitcher mocktails.
MAPLE LEMONADE WITH PEACHES AND THYME ~ Wallflower Kitchen
- STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
- HONEY SWEETENED FRESH CHERRY LIMEADE ~ Vanilla and Bean
- BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
- SOUTHERN SWEET TEA ~ Lipton
- WATERMELON LIME MOCKTAIL ~ Eat Yourself Skinny
- WATERMELON LEMONADE ~ Sugar & Charm
And now I just wanna throw a big bbq party and serve all of these delicious and refreshing cocktails! Too bad we are getting into Winter here in Australia, will have to wait a few more months 🙂
These all look so amazing and beautiful! So refreshing for the summer!
I just found all the cool and refreshing drinks I will need for summer!
Absolutely stunning. I love this for summer parties….can’t come fast enough.
All of these look perfect for summer! I’m more of a vodka girl, so I think I would try the blackberry and ginger cocktail first
Always a good choice 😉
Hi Sue! I love pitcher cocktails for summer dinner parties! One of our much-requested favorites is the cucumber gimlet: a cucumber, basil, and lime cocktail that tastes like Fresh itself and is THE cure for summer heat. We first tasted it at Brio’s, where we begged the bartender for the recipe. I’m sharing a link to a virtually identical recipe…note that this is two portions, we use simple syrup instead of sugar, and we’ve been known to substitute part or all of the lime juice with key lime. Warning, this is one deceptively easy-to-gulp drink. https://www.garnishwithlemon.com/cucumber-basil-vodka-gimlet/
And now I’m wondering if I might have said the same thing last summer. 🙂
That really does sound refreshing, and you make a great point that I meant to mention under the Vodka section…some of these summery drinks taste so fruity and delicious it’s easy to over do without realizing it.
What is the pitcher drink at the beginning, it is pink with looks like lemons and blueberries in it? I could not find the recipe.
That’s a blueberry lemonade, (under mocktails) with just a touch of the blueberry puree.
…add vodka to spike it.
These look so refreshing! Have you ever tried ‘boozy slushies’? They’re another great summer treat! I have a recipe that uses green tea, limeade and vodka that’s my go-to for summer gatherings. Okay, I’ll be honest, sometimes “the gathering” is only me!! LOL Thanks for some great idea!
Oh Lynn, now you’ve gone and started me thinking…I might have to do a boozy slushie round up soon, after some serious taste testing, of course.
Oh, yes! Cuz you certainly can’t serve anything you’re not 100% sure is delicious, right?!! Bottoms up!! 🙂
Lovely cocktails to choose from! Thanks for a wonderful selection Sue! Have a great day!
What a fun post! This makes me want to have a party and serve wonderful, refreshing pitchers of fun!