Too Many Cooks: What Cocktails Do You Entertain With?

You'll be hearing from the staff at Food52 in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more. 

There's a reason everyone always ends up in the kitchen at a party. Usually, that's where the bar is.

Cocktails can make or break an otherwise lively get together: they can turn a perfectly agreeable evening into one to remember, a low hum into a dull roar. When the drinks are flowing, the conversation's good, and the snacks -- better.

But, when faced with what to make for a throng of eager party-goers, we often end up scratching our heads: what drinks can you stir together easily that will serve -- and impress -- a crowd? With this in mind, we asked our team of fellow imbibers:

What cocktails do you entertain with?

How do you please a thirsty crowd? What can you pull together from your liquor cabinet last-minute? Tell us in the comments!

Jackie: Pimm's Cup! It's so refreshing, and especially delicious in spring and summer.

Lauren L: White wine sangria.

Karl: Lately, (bourbon) Manhattans. In the summer I make what I consider a Margarita variation, but there's probably a more accurate name for it -- tequila + lime juice + some sort of syrup.

Jenny: I scale this up for parties. 

Julie: Negroni, always. But, the summer calls for Salty Dogs (I like them with gin) -- easy to make, easier to drink.

Merrill: Prosecco, or something else sparkling, with some kind of fruit purée or shrub.

More: Don't be caught empty handed -- we have everything you need for a spontaneous cocktail party.

Michael: I recently batch-made Boulevardiers for a dinner party of 6 by premixing ten of them in a bottle. The only thing I had to do when the guests arrived was stir two at a time in a cocktail pitcher, strain, and garnish. In the summertime, I like to go the punch route. Here's a summer punch I posted on Food52 in 2009!

Posie: I go for Palomas. For a classy version, I use tequila, grapefruit juice, and seltzer. For something a little less classy, and more delicious, I just use tequila and grapefruit soda.

Jojo: For spring and summer, whiskey sours with some mint and/or basil and a few splashes of fizzy water.

Christina: I love a good Campari spritzer on a summer day.

Lindsay-Jean: +1 for sparkling things, but when summer hits, nothing beats a good margarita, so +1 for those too. Though I do love a Pimm's Cup. And a Negroni. Screw it. +1s all around!

Lauren K: I make a huge batch of rhubarb liqueur every year and serve it at parties. Perfect with soda and/or prosecco. For brunch parties, I have a reliable Bloody Mary recipe and I let guests pick their booze of choice: vodka, gin, and tequila. Is it summer yet?

Kenzi: Negroni negroni negroni. 

Danny: Old. Fashioned. That is all.

Marian: Negroni negroni -- negroni negroni (to the tune of this).

Sarah: I made a pitcher of the Southside at a dinner party the other week, and let's just say my friends have never been happier. 

Catherine: Unfortunately, I am not yet classy enough to possess a liquor cabinet, but on one cold winter's eve I did brew up a batch of Rooster Punch to great success. Based off a drink of the same name from the Red Rooster in Harlem, it consists of red wine, brandy, orange liqueur, and orange juice. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

Bea: My favorite drink in the world: a Perfect Manhattan by Michael Ruhlman.

Gabriella P: I made this Apple Rye Punch for nearly every party and holiday since October, and it made the endless winter slightly more tolerable. In summer, I do gin, Prosecco, Canton ginger liqueur, and maybe a touch of grapefruit juice. 

Tell us in the comments: what are your favorite cocktails to entertain with?