No BBQ is complete without a selection of refreshing summer drinks. If you are hosting a reasonable sized group, I recommend pre-batching drinks or making a summery punch to avoid having to leave the party to spend all evening in the kitchen mixing drinks and missing all the fun.
A classic drink spread would include an ice-cold beer to start with, some red wine to pair with the most serious cuts of meat and perhaps something tropical to cleanse the palate at the end. But let’s impress your guests by giving these a little twist.
Instead of just any beer, go for Corona (or similar) that is light and refreshing – but let’s make it into a cocktail. Add some tequila, lime and Campari to it to make it into a Michelada-style drink. Instead of just pouring wine, make a jug of fruity Sangria. You can choose from white, rosé or red wine Sangria. It’s easy to build ahead and you can add final touches just when guests arrive.
As for the tropical palate cleanser, rum punch is a crowd pleaser. I’m using a flavoured rum to make my work even easier. Plenty of flavour in the rum already so less ingredients are required for a tasty summer punch.
Corona Beer Cocktail
1 Corona Beer
25ml Tequila Blanco
15ml Campari
15ml Fresh Lime Juice
Salt and Chilli Flakes for decoration
First, clean the neck of the bottle. Rub some lime on the neck and add salt and chilli flakes. It makes the serve look nice but also adds to the drinking experience. Open the bottle and ask the guest to take two sips to create room for the remaining ingredients. Alternatively, you could pour some into a glass. Add all remaining ingredients and sip away.
I served these at our recent BBQ party, and everyone loved them. Next time I need to stock more Corona! I ended up measuring in the tequila and free pouring the Campari and lime. I recommend juicing the lime into a clean bottle ahead of the party. This way you will have less mess and can build the drink faster.
Red Wine Sangria
Whisky-Soaked Fruit Sangria – serves 10
For the whisky-soaked fruit (ideally done the night before, or at least a few hours ahead):
2 oranges, sliced into wheels
1 lemon, sliced into wheels
2 red apples, thinly sliced
200g grapes, halved
150ml whisky (it can be a blend or a single malt, something fruity rather than smoky)
2–3 cinnamon sticks
Combine the fruit, whisky, and cinnamon sticks in a covered container or directly in your serving jug/bowl and let it sit in the fridge.
To finish:
2 bottles (1.5L) Nero d’Avola or similar
150–200ml Cointreau, adjust to taste
The macerated fruit, whisky, and cinnamon sticks from above
Optional: sparkling water – added just before serving if you want a lighter Sangria
Combine the wine and Cointreau in a large punch bowl or two pitchers, add the whisky-soaked fruit along with all the liquid it’s been sitting in. Stir gently, taste, and adjust with a touch more Cointreau if you want more sweetness, or an extra cinnamon stick or two if you prefer more spice. Chill for at least an hour before serving or longer if you have time. Serve over ice. Add a splash of sparkling water in individual glasses if your guests would like a lighter serve.
Tip: Store the red wine and Cointreau in the fridge so it is already chilled at the time of combining the ingredients.
Rum Punch
When considering ingredients and ratios for the rum punch, you can always rely on the old Caribbean formula; one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak referring to lime, sugar, rum and dilution, usually water. The rhyme originates from Barbados, and it’s considered one of the oldest rum punches.
Modern takes on the recipe accept either lime or lemon, the sweet can be sugar syrup, agave or honey and the weak can be fruit juice, tea or something fizzy like ginger beer or sparkling water. And to make it a five-ingredient punch add Angostura bitters – ‘A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice.’ The origin of the word punch can be traced back to Hindi/Sanskrit panch meaning five, referring to a five-ingredient recipe.
Orange & Ginger Rum Punch – serves 10
1 bottle of Come Hell or High Water Reserva Honey & Orange
375ml Fresh Orange Juice
150ml Fresh Lime Juice
750ml Ginger Beer
8-10 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Ice
Orange and Lime slices for garnish
The honey and orange flavours in the spirit are basically doing half the work already. I’m skipping sugar as the ingredients already add enough sweetness to my palate but if you wish to make it sweeter you can add honey syrup or sugar syrup to your taste.
Simply add all the ingredients into a punch bowl or a jug. Give it a gentle stir. Ideally you want to serve this quickly to avoid the ginger beer getting flat. Alternatively, prebatch all but ginger beer and ice, store in the fridge and add the remaining ingredients just before serving.
Note: This recipe leans closer to a 2:1 ratio (sweet to sour) rather than the classic 3:1. That’s intentional as the Honey & Orange expression is already fairly sweet, so it needs less balancing. If you swap it for a classic rum with a higher ABV and less sweetness, you can adjust back to the traditional ratio.
What do you usually serve at BBQ parties? What is your favourite rum punch recipe?
Inka Larissa is an award-winning freelance spirits writer, content creator and Whisky Influencer of the Year 2026. Writing about whisky, cocktails and spirits since 2015, she explores the world of spirits from seed to glass. She is also co-host of the Whisky Sisters podcast.
