12 Refreshing Pitcher Drinks for Memorial Day Weekend

By Bridget Hallinan
Updated May 14, 2020
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Credit: © Con Poulos
Memorial Day Weekend feels like the unofficial start of summer, and we like to celebrate with cool, refreshing drinks—better yet, pitcher drinks, which can easily be scaled according to your needs. Think sangria, punch, batch mojitos, and Aperol spritzes, too. Read on for some of our favorite Memorial Day drink recipes as well as the pitchers and glasses to serve them in.
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Ginger Shandies

Credit: Tina Rupp
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All you need to make these drinks is ginger beer, Hoegaarden beer, one thinly sliced lemon, and mint sprigs.

Fluted Acrylic Pitcher, $11.50 (was $16.50) at westelm.com

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Georgia on My Mind

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Peach liqueur, fresh lemon juice, bourbon, chilled apricot or peach ale, and more come together in this fruity drink.

Heavy Base 16 oz. Highball Glass (Set of 8), $28 at wayfair.com

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Pineapple-Sake Sangria with Jalapeño

Credit: LUIS GARCIA
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This sake-based punch from chef Helene Henderson is refreshing and spicy thanks to an easy-to-make jalapeño syrup.

Oblique Glassware Tumbler Set (Set of 8), $41 (was $68) at westelm.com

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Red Sangria

Credit: LUCAS ALLEN
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This easy red sangria only has a few ingredients—a fruity red wine (such as Merlot), brandy, simple syrup, mixed citrus pieces, and ice. Serve in chilled, ice-filled wine glasses.

Luigi Bormioli 'Supremo' Bordeaux Wine Glasses, Set of 6, $75 at nordstrom.com

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Sparkling Yuzu Gimlets

Credit: © Christina Holmes
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After you’ve mixed them up, Top Chef winner Mei Lin recommends serving these gimlets in ice-filled collins glasses, with small sprigs of mint and basil and a cucumber spear for garnish.

Collins 12 oz. Glass, $5 (each) at crateandbarrel.com

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Rum Punch

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All of the ingredients in this simple punch come together in a pitcher except for the ice and pineapple wedges. Once you’re ready to serve, pour the punch into red wine glasses over ice and use the wedges for garnish.

Mosser Glass Hobnail Glass Pitcher, $56 at food52.com

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Sandy Bottoms

Credit: Victor Protasio

This pitcher drink pairs refreshing watermelon with the delicate fennel-and-herb flavor of Peychaud's bitters. 

Santino Recycled Glass Pitcher, $27.50 (was $39.50) at potterybarn.com

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Grilled Pineapple–Tequila Punch

Credit: Greg Dupree
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Paula Disbrowe makes this cocktail when cooler weather starts to hit Texas, but you can make it during warmer weather, too. The sweet and smoky notes of grilled pineapple are combined with blanco tequila, Ancho Reyes Verde (poblano liqueur), pineapple juice, and lime juice, with Topo Chico and fresh garnishes as the finishing touch.

Clemence Pitcher, $38 at anthropologie.com

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Aperol Spritz

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This recipe allows you to make a batch of the refreshing Italian cocktail. You’ll need one bottle of Aperol, one bottle of Prosecco, chilled seltzer, and ice, and a big pitcher, too. It all gets combined and then poured into ice-filled wine glasses. (Don’t forget the orange slices for garnish.)

Michaelangelo 84 oz. Pitcher, $32 at wayfair.com

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Pineapple Mojitos

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Chef Jose Enrique’s family comes from Cuba, where they were famous for their pineapple soda—it was once the country’s most popular soft drink after Coke. Enrique makes a mojito version of it, using a rich brown sugar-pineapple syrup, rum, mint and club soda.

Alta Pitcher, $30 at crateandbarrel.com

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Tequila-Watermelon Aguas Frescas with Prosecco

Credit: ADRIAN GAUT
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In this refreshing cocktail, Prosecco adds a lively spritz to a light, watermelon-forward margarita. You can mix everything in a pitcher or large bowl. 

Sora Acrylic Pitcher, $15 (was $25) at crateandbarrel.com

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Sanibel Sangria

Credit: Victor Protasio
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This rosy-red sangria is made with hibiscus tea, fresh raspberries, sugar, gin, and dry sparkling rosé. Wait to add the latter to the pitcher until you’re ready to serve—add fresh raspberries for a garnish. 

Glass cocktail pitcher, $35 at surlatable.com

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By Bridget Hallinan