Lady Grey

If your plans for the day involve swinging in a hammock or enjoying an outdoor brunch with friends, make a pitcher of this cocktail featuring mint, ginger, citrus, and black tea.

Smoked-Rosemary Rum Punch

Holding fresh rosemary over the flame of your gas stove (or a candle) lends savory, woodsy flavors to this rum punch. Gold rum adds a rich, velvety sweetness, while overproof rum contributes earthy, musky complexity.

Larchmont

One of the most highly sought-after books is The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, a volume first printed in 1948, written not by a bartender but by a New York lawyer named David Embury who was determined to establish a system of proper rules for mixing drinks. Most of the drinks he covered were ones that were already in regular rotation in New York bars. Here's one of his originals, the Larchmont.

Gunpowder Gin Punch

This punch bursts with tangy citrus and a touch of the unexpected, thanks to celery bitters.

Apple Fennel Punch

Rye adds a distinct kick to the other soothing flavors like apple, ginger, and fennel in this winter punch from Fino in Austin, Texas. Bergamot tea is the clean, earthy base that ties the flavors together.

Pineapple Rum Punch

This tropical punch gets its flavor and fragrance from ripe, fresh pineapple, which infuses a simple syrup for a few hours (or overnight.)

Modern Cocktail No. 2

The Modern Cocktail No. 2 shows how wonderfully blended scotch can work in a cocktail. As written in the Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930, the Modern #2 matches the smooth richness of blended scotch with the sharp tang of sloe gin, with dashes of absinthe, grenadine and bitters lending additional complexity.

Make-Ahead Fig and Cinnamon Punch

This warmly spiced rum punch, adapted from bartender A. Minetta Gould of Ste. Ellie in Denver, balances the bitterness of black tea with the nutty sweetness of dried figs and Madeira.

Pimm's Melon Punch

This recipe from John McCarthy of the Greenwich Project (see our First Look here) brings out the spicy side of Pimm's with a cardamom syrup. Instead of the traditional cucumber you often see with Pimm's, this drink is made with fresh honeydew juice.

Suns 'n Roses (Rum and Stone Fruit Punch)

This porch-appropriate summer sipper is rich and mellow but not too sweet, thanks to a balance of fresh and dried stone fruit, aged rum, and lemon. Adapted from a recipe created by Tommy Quimby for San Francisco's Rich Table, it captures the flavor of ripe peaches and apricots in a simple blended syrup. A little white tea adds volume and delicate floral flavor.