Punch

Wassail is a deeply rooted tradition in the Midwest and a popular regional staple throughout the cold-weather season. Every winter as the holidays approach, many Wisconsinites still take part in the age-old "wassailing of apple trees," a ritual dating back to the fifteenth century that involves sprinkling wassail on apple trees to ensure a strong, healthy harvest and to keep the trees safe from evil spirits. Wassail always blends apples and winter holiday spices, but the sweeteners and spirits often change from recipe to recipe. This version comes from the Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, an area that leads apple production in Wisconsin. The cranberry juice is a perfectly tart counterpart to the sweetness of the apple cider and brown sugar, and the bourbon lends a full, rich quality, and the ginger, pepper, and spices offer a final kick of flavor.

A spicy salad of pork belly and watermelon pickle at New York City's Fatty Crab restaurant inspired bartender Philip Ward of Mayahuel to invent a liquid riff on the dish. If you're a Margarita fan, you'll love this drink, which is made with mezcal, tequila's smoky cousin. Don't mess around with the cheap stuff; look for bottles in the Del Maguey line of mezcals, including Vida de San Luis del Rio.

This ultra-refreshing tomato water makes great use of an abundance of tomatoes and works well as a virgin summer cooler, too.

All of the flavors of the tropics make an appearance in this sensational, lemon-hued punch-banana, rum, pineapple, and orange. Serve this at a BBQ featuring great pork ribs.

This makes an unexpected drink to serve porch-side visitors. With its beautiful color and sweet-tart cranberrylike flavor, guests will want to know where you had to go to find hibiscus pods, how interesting (and easy) it was to make, and talk about the sheer fact that hibiscus is edible. Be aware that with its deep red coloring, you shouldn't use a light-colored tablecloth.

My friend Timmy Reily makes the best version of this classic New Orleans drink. He likes to use the finest brandy, but once you've added all the other ingredients the brandy doesn't matter so much. You may need to add a bit more sugar, so taste a little and sweeten as you go.

Punch is one of the easiest ways to set the Halloween mood—all you need is a cauldron, perhaps, or a pointy black hat and ice block "hands."Not every blend of fruit juices takes well to the with-or-without option of alcohol, but the combination of sparkling cider and cranberry juice cocktail, subtly enhanced with a spice syrup, both support an optional dose of dark rum.

This pleasant, not-too-strong punch is perfect for a party. To keep the mixture cold without diluting it, use an ice block instead of regular ice cubes.

The Negroni, a gin-based aperitif, meets sangria in this great party punch.

Find rose-petal syrup at ethnic food shops (or online at Kalustyans)—it's a deep red-colored liquid commonly served in the eastern Mediterranean. For quick drinks, mix it with soda or milk. Be sure not to confuse this syrup with rose water, though. If you are going to use flowers for decoration in the punch, be sure that they are edible and not treated with pesticides. Most good produce shops will stock chrysanthemums and orchids—both are good for sweet foods. Edible violets and pink roses can be found in some florists or farmer's markets.

Editor's note: This recipe was created by Erika Lenkert, author of the book, The Last-Minute Party Girl: Fashionable, Fearless, and Foolishly Simple Entertaining. For Lenkert's tips on throwing a last-minute New Year's Eve party, click here. I adore this cocktail recipe because it's refreshing, pretty, and has subtly mint and cucumber flavors that will keep everyone guessing at exactly what's in it. You can dress it up for an evening fete by straining it and serving it up with edible gold or silver flecks as it is done here, or dress it down by throwing everything — mint, cucumber slices, and all — into a serving pitcher. Best of all, you can skip squeezing limes all day by using limeade concentrate. Shhhh. It'll be our secret.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Floating petals on top of this pretty punch adds color to the buffet table. Make sure you choose flowers that haven't been sprayed with chemicals.

We recommend using a good-quality California or Spanish sparkling wine for this punch. Both are widely available and less expensive than Champagne.