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Landing a top shelf punch program is as easy as one, two, three, four, five:

One of sour.

Two of sweet.

Three of strong.

Four of weak.

Five of spice and make it nice.

“I’ve worked in bars for more than 20 years, and I can tell you that a great punch has many benefits to a bar,” said , Breakthru Nevada Beverage Specialist.

Recently, we covered batching cocktails, the time-saving shortcut that makes it easier for bartenders to handle the high-volume, holiday season, when crowds will be demanding high-quality cocktails, and quickly. Batching is at the heart of a winning punch program.

As for the five-step plan, Gillespie broke down the system.

“The sour can be something like a lemon or lime juice, followed by the sweet which can be sugar, syrup or some other sweet liqueur modifier,” Gillespie explained. “Then the strong, which is the spirits, of course. Then you’ll dilute it with water or, and this is very popular right now, tea. Finally, bring it all home with the spice, which can be bitters, nutmeg or cinnamon.”

A perfect punch can be whatever you need it to be throughout the year.

“It’s a great seasonal drink for customers,” Gillespie said. “We’re coming up on the time of year where a punch with brown spirits along with flavors like apple, cinnamon, pumpkin and allspice will play very well with big groups.”

One of Gillespie’s go-to punch recipes is the classic Philadelphia Fish House Punch which has both summer and winter variations, making it a year-round cocktail. If you’re looking to add one punch to your bar program, maybe start with this one--which comes with a to pass along to your customers.