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The best batched cocktails to serve up on game day

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 07 Sep 2026

By
J’aime Cardillo

Pouring a glass of the PIsco Punch into a glass

Dig out that punch bowl and put those pies in the oven – it’s kick-off time.

The best thing about sport? Sure, the games are good, but we love that it’s about getting everyone together. And now that we’re only a couple of weeks away from the big dance – that’s the AFL Grand Final – and the NRL showdown is close behind, it’s a great time to plan your game day.

Not into those clashes? There’s also the new season of the AFLW to get excited about, or maybe you’ve caught the NFL bug with the 49ers and Rams facing off on our shores. You might also be good and ready for the Bledisloe Cup to return. Whatever your sport of choice, the key to a great game day is preparation. And what kind of friends would we be if we let you host without reminding you that you can scale up your favourite cocktails for a crowd?

If you’re doing the hosting, you’ve probably already got a working checklist, but our advice is to go all out. No matter the size of your group, you can’t go wrong with a barbecue. Or if you’re going the whole hog with the footy, that means chips in boxes, Four’N Twenty pies and sausage rolls (bonus points if you have a pie-warmer). Don’t forget enough seating, either. And, of course, you’ll need the biggest TV possible.

When it comes to drinks, you could open a few bottles of wine or put the beers on ice, but we reckon the best way to host game day is to batch up a round of cocktails ahead of time so you don’t miss any of the action. It also doesn’t hurt that a jug or punch bowl of something delicious is one of the best ways to serve a crowd without blowing the budget (while looking like you did).

2 MINS READ

1. Sparkling Strawberry Punch cocktail recipe

Pull out that punch bowl (or go and visit grandma), because our Sparkling Strawberry Punch recipe is a certified crowd pleaser. It’s easy, too – just strawberries, zesty lemon juice, Aperol, grapefruit juice, soda and moscato, which brings a sweet spritzy kick, before being decorated with fresh strawbs and mint leaves. If this one is skewing a little too sweet for you, you can always swap out that moscato for a drier style of sparkling or even Champagne, if you want to zhuzh it up.

2 MINS READ

2. Spiced White Negroni cocktail recipe

Cocktail queen Kayla Saito has made the ultimate freezer-batch cocktail in the Spiced White Negroni – think a honeyed White Negroni. Kayla’s secret? Chai tea. Then you need gin (don’t forget to experiment here), Amaro Montenegro and Lillet Blanc Aperitif. Garnish with a white chocolate shard and some orange zest. Kayla swears by batching this as she says it means each serve will be consistent, and her top tip for batching five or more serves is to lower the salt.

3 MINS READ

3. Cranberry Limoncello Spritz cocktail recipe

It’s official, we’re dubbing the Cranberry Limoncello the Spritz of summer. And made with limoncello, prosecco, cranberry juice and soda, it offers serious bang-for-buck because a these few ingredients give you multiple serves. Throw in some fresh citrus fruit and you have a zingy refresher. This Spritz is at home in a jug, and placed slap-bang between a plate of snags, steaks and a few burgers. Who’s bringing the potato salad?

3 MINS READ

4. Pineapple & Gin Punch cocktail recipe

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list for this punch, it really is a piece of cake. The key is to infuse the gin with jasmine tea bags – you just need half an hour up your sleeve. From there, all you need to do is add the rest of the ingredients into a punch bowl or jug and stir. Just remember that ice cubes will melt faster than you can say Pineapple and Gin Punch, so you want a large block of ice that won’t dilute the flavour.

3 MINS READ

5. White Linen cocktail recipe

Is there a fresher cocktail in our collection? We don’t think so. Despite the fact this is super summery, the beauty of this batched number is that it works year-round, especially when you’re after full-on bright and floral vibes. This cocktail is designed for six, with cucumber juice, gin and elderflower liqueur bringing all sorts of crisp, clean and floral flavours.

4 MINS READ

6. Freezer-Door Martini cocktail recipe

You know we love a Martini as much as the next person, so we’ve put together a recipe that a) you can’t mess up and b) can be batched for a group. That’s what we call a win-win. This recipe makes eight serves, and all you need is gin, vermouth, some water and enough glassware for your mates. Brine level and garnish of choice? Well that, our friends, is totally up to you.

4 MINS READ

7. Raspberry Tequila Sangria cocktail recipe

The Raspberry Tequila Sangria is what you get when you cross Sangria with a Margarita (yum). So, if you’re leaning toward tacos for your game-day menu, we say go all in with this take on two of our favourite drinks. The blanco tequila, rosé and ginger ale meld together to make (dare we say) the perfect punch. Just be sure to prep an hour before kick-off – there’s a syrupy base that needs time to do its thing.

2 MINS READ

8. Pornstar Martini Spritz cocktail recipe

Yes, we’ve gone and turned one of our most popular (and delicious) cocktails into a Spritz for the whole crew. You’re welcome. Served in a jug and lengthened with passionfruit soda, we’ve dropped the original recipe’s passionfruit liqueur, but it still has all the vanilla, tropical goodness but with the spritz and complexity that comes with the addition of sparkling wine.

3 MINS READ

9. Hot Pink Punch cocktail recipe

Love watermelon? Us too – so much, in fact, that we created this bright pink watermelon showcase with this punch. This cocktail ticks all our boxes: the watermelon brings fruity sweetness, Campari adds a bitter balance, gin’s bright botanicals are in the mix, and a spicy rim on the glass offers some surprising depth. It’s bright, fresh, oh-so pretty and perfect for every party.

3 MINS READ

10. DIY Alcoholic Lemonade cocktail recipe

We love a ready-to-go hard lemonade as much as everyone else, but if you really want to impress at your next game-day event, you can’t go wrong bringing out a batched DIY Alcoholic Lemonade. Just a little pre-prep brings seriously tangy, tasty results – after that, it’s an easy build for this vodka-based fizzy recipe. Sweet but tart, refreshing and guaranteed to please.

4 MINS READ

11. Pink Gin Fruit Punch cocktail recipe

Forgotten about that bottle of pink gin you bought? Well, go and grab it because we’re making our famous Pink Gin Fruit Punch. This crowd-friendly cocktail could not be any easier to make – all you need is the pink gin, a bottle of sparkling rosé (go for a drier style), some grapefruit soda, and you’ve got yourself and your mates five servings of the prettiest punch. For our sweet-treat fans – swap out that rosé for a pink moscato.

2 MINS READ

12. Mulled Cider cocktail recipe

The weather doesn’t always cooperate on game day, so if it’s unseasonably cool, and the idea of a frosty, blitzed cocktail isn’t getting anyone excited, it’s time to make a big batch of Mulled Cider. Following the same process as a traditional Mulled Wine, this alcoholic cider base brings fruity warmth and added flavour that’s sure to be a hit. You can even keep it in a slow cooker to stay at just the right temperature (it will make the house smell amazing, too).

4 MINS READ

13. Pisco Punch cocktail recipe

Sherbety, dry and spritzy, the Pisco Punch is something quite different, which we think makes the perfect addition to any gathering – and that includes game day. It features tart lemon and pineapple juice, sparkling wine and complex herbaceous and spicy flavours that come from an overnight ‘soak’. Rich and fruity, this is a punch that ticks all the boxes.

3 MINS READ

14. Spicy Cerveza Punch cocktail recipe

Don’t think beer belongs in cocktails? Wrong. Here you have a delicious mix of pineapple juice, smoked paprika, salt, spicy sauces and juices (lime and pineapple) and add Mexican-style lagers to the mix with fresh ice. It makes one of the freshes, spiciest, most unique punch twists, and it’s absolutely bang-on for game day, if you ask us. Just add corn chips and tacos.

2 MINS READ

15. Rosé Spritzer cocktail recipe

A bottle of rosé is always a winner, but to really take it to the next level, you can’t go past this jug of spritzer. It’s super simple, too. Just rosé, bianco vermouth (that’s the slightly sweeter style) and soda in a jug with ice, with a few berries and herbs as garnish, if you’re feeling fancy. It’s so easy that your guests will be able to mix up the next round.

3 MINS READ

16. Mandarin White Sangria cocktail recipe

We’re at the tail end of mandarin season, which makes this bright Sangria riff essential for game day – make the most of this fruit while you can. White wine, limoncello, mandies, herbs and soda – or perhaps passionfruit soda to sweeten it up – come together beautifully. Seek out an old-school punch bowl for the occasion, and your work here is done.