Rubber duckies bobbing on ice. A smoke show. Colorful floral arrangements and fruit floats. Punch bowls always deliver on the “ooh-ahh” factor, according to beverage industry veteran Tasmen Braam, general manager of The Family Jones Spirit House.
So, when Braam decided to add a few shareable sippers to the menu to showcase the distillery’s key spirits and the bar’s housemade syrups and juices, she started by sourcing an array of beautiful glass punch bowls from the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall and local thrift stores.
Everyone raise a glass: Large-format convivial cocktails are officially back, with a handful of Front Range bars inviting groups to gather around a punch bowl.
Large-format cocktails run the gamut, from the kitschy “fish bowls” at Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern that are jazzed up with Swedish Fish candies and blinking LED ice cubes, to the classic tiki cocktails like Mai Tais and Zombies at Jungle that can be ordered in a medium format with five drinks to a large size with 13 drinks.
The Family Jones Spirit House has expanded their large drink options, notable additions being The Bikini Bottom — a delicious mix of Family Jones vodka, pineapple, mint demerara, and angostura bitters, evoking island vibes — and The Porch Swing that combines Ella Jones Bourbon, peach tea, syrup, and lemon, reminiscent of a Georgian porch swing experience as described by Braam.
The Captain Planet at Family Jones is predominantly gin-based, infused with cucumber, celery juice, tangerine, and lime, offering a touch that might even be considered healthy. Each beverage option is served with a ladle for guests to conveniently pour into their individual glasses, and a small extra taster is often provided in the punch bowl for special celebrations like birthdays or graduations.
Popular large drink selections are also available at Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek (227 Clayton St.), with choices ranging from a fiery tequila-based Firebird including ancho reyes, guava, sparkling wine and citrus, to the bourbon-rich Prospector’s Payoff mixed with honey, pineapple, ginger, lemon and effervescent bubbles.
“Our goal is to offer accessible spirits that are also visually appealing for social media, featuring exciting elements like flame and intricate garnishes, and even whimsical additions like a blue rubber duck,” commented Nicole Lebedevitch, the beverage director at Forget Me Not. “The aim is to foster fun and shared experiences among guests.”
To avoid using communal straws, Forget Me Not offers its large drinks in a glass decanter fitted with a spigot alongside individual glasses.
Meanwhile, Adrift Tiki Bar located at 218 S. Broadway, presents its punch bowls suitable for two to four patrons, and also features the remarkable Hono Nui Bowl priced at $150, available exclusively for groups of six or more. This particular concoction draws inspiration from the Tortuga, a renowned tiki classic made with a rum mixture, cacao, dry curaçao, house-made grenadine, lemon, orange, and an entire bottle of champagne.
It raises the question: Should we return to buffet lines, blow out birthday candles, and share punch bowls?
I sought insights from Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of “The Germ Code” and “The Germ Files” as well as the host of the “Super Awesome Science Show” podcast.
In theory, if everyone uses their own straw and avoids any form of backwash, the risks are minimal, Tetro mentioned. Normally, drinks at bars are scooped into individual glasses, and even when sipping from a communal punch bowl via personal straws, the danger isn’t significant.
“However, this requires you to draw the liquid up the straw, remove it from the communal setting, and let it trickle down into your mouth,” Tetro explained. “It’s not the simplest action, though it might make for an entertaining game.”
Nevertheless, Tetro highlighted that sharing drinks generally increases the likelihood of infection through close interactions with an ill person.
“Thus, while the drink itself may represent a hazard, the proximity to someone while laughing, yelling, or when they sneeze or cough, could be considerably more hazardous,” he noted.
With that disclaimer out of the way: Go big! Then go home (in an Uber!)