The Best Drinks To Serve At A College Party
I don’t know about you, but when I think of a college party – or house party for us Brits, two things come to mind, cheap drinks and plastic cups. The two play hand in hand when it comes to heading down to the shops to buy the roll of rubbish bags, signature red cups and the big bottle of JD. One could argue the best drinks to serve at a party are beers and JD & Coke, after all, it’s the most popular and affordable option, no?
But this isn’t a high school party. Why not amp it up by going all out? You won’t be hosting a party every weekend so make the most of it and throw a unique party that’ll be the most talked about on your campus. That means punch bowls, signature VIP drinks, and shots. Here’s a list of the best drinks to serve at a college party!
Viva La Vodka:
Sea Breeze Cocktail Pitcher
This is the perfect drink for a summer party with roommates and close friends. It’s not too much of sweet or tart, but very refreshing. With only a few ingredients, this is a great option for those that don’t want to spend too much and still have everyone in a great mood.
Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ cups of your Vodka of choice
- 6 cups of chilled grapefruit juice
- 4 cups of chilled cranberry juice
- Soda water/ Lemon-lime soda
Instructions:
Fill a pitcher with your vodka, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and stir. Top up with your choice of soda water or lemon-lime soda and add a handful of ice cubes to keep cool. Stir in thin slices of lime for added aesthetic.
Appletini Cocktails
Individual cocktails for the important friends that show up early is a great incentive to get your party started on time. These can be a bit of a hassle if you insist on making them for every guest at a college party, but while things are still classy, play it up with one of these.
With the tangy sweetness of the apple and richness of maple syrup, this is the cocktail to get your friends in the mood for a good time.
Make as many as you dare.
Ingredients for individual cocktails:
- 45ml (1.5 Oz) your choice of Vodka
- 45ml (1.5 Oz) cloudy apple juice
- 5ml fresh lemon juice
- 5ml of maple syrup
- Cocktail shaker
- Ice
Instructions:
Measure and add the vodka, apple juice, lemon juice, and maple syrup into the cocktail shaker. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes, secure the lid making sure it is airtight and give it a good shake for 10-12 seconds. Remove the lid and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a few slices of apple on a skewer.
Because, Tequila!
Mexican Bulldog
This drink looks so cool! Margaritas and beer. It’s two drinks in one – what could be better?! This is a margarita you can impress your friends with when the party’s just getting started.
Ingredients for an individual cocktail:
- 60ml (2 Oz) Tequila
- 22.5ml (¾ Oz) Triple Sec
- 37.5ml (1 ¼ Oz) Lime Juice
- 1 Coronita – A mini bottle of Corona or any other Mexican beer
- Salt
Instructions:
Use a lime wedge or water to wet the rim of a glass or cup. Turn the glass upside down and add some coarse salt. Add your Tequila, Triple sec and lime juice to a bullet blender and fill with a half to a ¾ cup of ice cubes. Blend until the contents resemble a slushy – this should only take a few seconds. Spoon out the margarita into your glass, open up your miniature Mexican beer bottle and quickly upturn it into your glass. Be careful! Make sure you’re quick enough so that none of the drink over spills. There should still be quite a bit of beer in the upturned bottle. Add a straw, garnish with a small lime slice and enjoy!
Rum Pum Pum Pum
Mojito Pitchers
Another brilliant summer cooler, the refreshing mojito is an easy cocktail to throw together inside a pitcher and your guests can help themselves! Who said a college party couldn’t be sophisticated? No seriously, who said that?
Serves 6-8
Ingredients for a pitcher:
- 1 ¼ cup white rum of your choice
- 3-5 limes quartered
- ½ cup sugar – granulated
- 1 litre of soda water/lemon-lime water or lemonade
- A large handful of mint leaves- around 25-30
Instructions:
Add the quartered limes to the pitcher with the mint leaves and sugar. Use a muddler or gently use a pestle to press the juice out of the limes until the mint leaves are somewhat bruised and sugar starts to dissolve. Add the rum, a handful of ice cubes and stir to dissolve the sugar. Finally, pour your soda water into the pitcher to top it off. Pour into glasses filled with ice and a straw.
Cuba Libre / Malibu & Chill
If you’re adamant you’re keeping the party cheap and cheerful, measure out your rum shots with the classic rum and coke. Drop a shot of whatever rum you like into a cup filled with coke and enjoy! You can also do this with a double shot of Malibu. The small red shot cups would really come in handy for this one. Make sure to recycle!
Wild n Whisky:
Autumn Delight
For those oddballs that like whiskey, this is a simple yet interesting one. Whiskey paired with apple cider and dusted with cinnamon. You wouldn’t think it would work, but it does. This is great for a small party with close friends. If your all feeling a little experimental, throw this together on the spot and wow them!
Ingredients for a single cocktail:
- 50ml of your whiskey of choice
- 1 can/bottle of an apple cider of your choice
- ½ tsp Cinnamon powder
- Ice
Instructions:
Into a glass filled with ice cubes, pour in your 50 ml of whiskey. Top it off with your cider and dust over a half teaspoon cinnamon powder. Garnish with a few apple slices and serve with a straw.
JD & Coke
If you’re still adamant you don’t want to do anything elaborate, JD & Coke is your best pal. Just like a Cuba Libre, drop a shot of whiskey into your cup of coke and enjoy! You don’t need to do the most to show your friends a good time, but if you wanted to jazz it up, try freezing the coke or buy some funky paper straws.
