Meet Your Essential Guide to Low-ABV Cocktails
Peep the cover of our new book with Drew Lazor, Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion.
- story: Punch Staff
- photos: Lizzie Munro
What Does “Wellness” Look Like in the Drinks World?
A mini-temperance movement is brewing.
- story: Christopher Ross
- photo: Lizzie Munro
How to “Season” Cocktails With Spirits and Liqueurs
Adding a small amount of spirit to a drink—whether as a float, a spritz or a rinse—can add flavor, aroma and complexity to cocktails.
- story: Kara Newman
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Italian Aperitivo Finds Its Footing in America
Italy's take on happy hour, aperitivo, is gaining steam in the U.S., where a number of bars are combining the Italian tradition of leisure with that of American drink-making. Here,…
- story: Punch Staff
- photos: Lizzie Munro
Recipes
Books
A compact, boldly photographed and illustrated guide to low-ABV drinks.
Buy the Book
Amazon Barnes and Noble
Bring Home the Best of PUNCH
Boost your drink IQ with The Mini Bar, The Essential Bar Book, Winter Drinks and more.
- story: Punch Staff
- photo: PUNCH
Ten Essential Modern Spritzes
From a low-proof spin on the Mai Tai to an alpine-inspired twist and more.
- story: Punch Staff
- photo: Lizzie Munro
A Lower-Octane Approach to Classic Cocktails
The Mint Julep, Manhattan, Margarita and more, restyled as low-proof session cocktails.
- story: Punch Staff
- photos: Lizzie Munro
Session Margarita
This low-proof rendition of the classic Margarita calls on the expected tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, but builds on a base of manzanilla sherry.
- story: Talia Baiocchi
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Session Manhattan
In this low-proof spin on the Manhattan, sweet vermouth and rye switch places.
- story: Talia Baiocchi
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Sharon
Tristan Willey’s low-proof variation on the Negroni replaces the gin with manzanilla sherry and dials back the Campari for a salty, lightly bitter take on the Italian classic that does…
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Session Dark ‘n’ Stormy
In this low-proof spin on the Dark 'N' Stormy, Amaro Montenegro plays the role of the base spirit while blackstrap rum delivers the familiar caramel notes of the original.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Ma Cherie
Savory elements, from the muddled celery down to the cucumber garnish, draw the drink away from its source material, the sherry cobbler.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Kobra
Morgan Schick used the classic Bamboo as a launch point for the white port-based Kobra.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
The PUNCH Guide to Drinking in Milan
The essential guide to Milan's best craft beer, wine, cocktail bars and nightlife.
Frozen Italian Mojito
The classic Cuban cocktail (rum, lime juice, sugar, mint) goes full Italian in this frozen version.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
15 Essential Amari and How to Use Them
The author of Amaro chooses his must-haves, from alpine to rabarbaro to fernet and beyond.
- story: Brad Thomas Parsons
- photo: Valeria Alonzo
Behind the Backbar at Seattle’s Barnacle
This diminutive Seattle bar oversees a collection of more than 180 bottles of amaro, aperitivo bitters and vermouth from around the world.
- story: Brad Thomas Parsons
- photo: Aaron Leitz
Build These Wine Cocktails Directly in the Bottle
The "built-in-can" cocktail is a well-established mainstay in the drinks world—but what about "built-in-bottle"?
- story: Punch Staff
- photo: Valeria Alonzo
The New-New Wave of Italian Aperitivo Liqueurs
Seven new bottles to seek out, including both Italian-born expressions and made-in-America takes.
- story: Brad Thomas Parsons
- photo: Lizzie Munro
A Bar Crawl Through the Aperitivo Capital of South America
The mashup of Argentine ingredients and Italo-Spanish drinking traditions has made Buenos Aires home to the most vibrant aperitivo culture outside of Europe.
- story: Allie Lazar
- photos: Macías Crudeli
The Last Petal
This low-ABV cocktail, made with fino sherry, rhum agricole and cava, is at once briny, floral and refreshing.
- story: Lizzie Munro
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Our Favorite Bubbly Cocktail Recipes by Style
There's no such thing as a bad time for Champagne. Here, a selection of our favorite sparkling cocktails—from holiday-ready bubbly punches to a gang of anytime spritzes.
- story: Punch Staff
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Five Low-Proof Punches Made for Entertaining
Low-proof punch was made for holiday gatherings, allowing for multiple festive rounds without the side effects. Here, five large-format cocktails low in alcohol and big in holiday flavor, featuring everything…
- story: Punch Staff
- photos: Lizzie Munro
Blood Moon
A combination of amaro, tonic and lemon, the Blood Moon ticks all the aperitivo boxes.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
lookbook
Alex Day | Partner, Proprietors LLC
A co-founder of Proprietors LLC, a Los Angeles-based bar consulting firm, Alex Day has had a hand in creating some of the country’s best watering holes. Aside from their long list of venues—which includes Death & Co.,… Read More
Frozen Sgroppino
Expanding the repertoire of classic aperitivo cocktails, Joe Campanale adds his Frozen Sgroppino, a mix of vodka, lemon sorbet and prosecco.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Garibaldi Spritz
This version of the Garibaldi dials back the Campari and gets topped with prosecco.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
A Guide to Italian Bitter Aperitivo Liqueurs
Red bitter liqueurs are the cornerstone of Italian aperitivo culture, which American drinkers are eagerly adopting in the forms of Spritzes, Negronis and beyond. Katie Parla lays out the key…
- story: Katie Parla
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Sanguinello Spritz
This wintry adaptation keeps things bitter, bubbly and low-alcohol with fortified wine, homemade vanilla syrup, blood orange juice and, of course, prosecco.
- story: Liz Lucking
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Six Low-Alcohol “Suppressor” Cocktails for Fall
With interest in low-proof drinks on the rise, one group of Atlanta bartenders is proving that less is more. Here are six fall-ready "Suppressors" from Greg Best, Paul Calvert and…
- story: Punch Staff
- photos: Daniel Krieger
Suppressor #21
Paul Calvert's Suppressor #21 is a simple, low-ABV combination of fortified wines kicked up with bitter Cynar.
- story: Liz Lucking
- photo: DANIEL KRIEGER
Treasure Chest
In Natasha David's low-proof Treasure Chest, gamay's cranberry notes and herbaceous Lillet pair with spicy chai-infused sherry and cinnamon syrup.
- story: Joanna Harkins
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Arctic Wine Cooler
Natasha David's playful cooler is essentially an überprogressive sangria in slushie form. Using orange wine—a white produced in a manner similar to reds, with the grapes experiencing some skin contact—lends…
- story: Chloe Frechette
Rome With a View
Somewhere between an afternoon appropriate Collins and an Americano, the Rome With a View mixes bittersweet Campari, dry vermouth, tart lime and soda.
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Daniel Krieger
Bicicletta
According to a popular Italian legend, the Bicicletta—“bicycle” in Italian—was named after the elderly men who swerved all over the road while riding home after a few afternoon drinks at…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
- photo: Lizzie Munro