This Grown-Up Trash Can Punch is the perfect drink for a crowd! A base of fresh fruit juices replicates the classic flavor of fruit punch (minus the questionable ingredients) for a refreshing batch cocktail.
Table of Contents
This recipe is…
Grown-up trash can punch. Yep, we went there! Have you ever had trash can punch? For big parties in college, we’d buy a new (thankfully!) trash can as a vessel for serving this punch (after all, nothing else was big enough).
Then, we’d grab a ton of Hawaiian Punch, and mix it up with all of the liquor we had on hand. As it turned out, Hawaiian Punch was the perfect mixer to disguise copious amounts of alcohol.
When we were brainstorming for the perfect Super Bowl cocktail, our minds immediately jumped to our college days, and this grown-up trash can punch was born! Y’all loved our grown-up version of watermelon jello shots and margarita jello shots, so we figured why not make another cocktail recipe for a party! Don’t worry though, we’ve ditched the trash can for something just a smidge more sophisticated, and we’ve also done away with the high fructose corn syrup and artificial dye-packed Hawaiian Punch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This nostalgic cocktail for a crowd recipe is party-ready!
- We give you recipes below for both small and large batches
- It doesn’t get easier than this: mix all the ingredients together, pour over ice, and cheers your crew!
- Ready in less than 10 minutes
- Free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and high-fructose corn syrup
Trash Can Punch Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make a batch of this fruity, boozy cocktail for a crowd. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Vodka – whether you opt to make the small batch recipe, or the bigger batch, our foolproof cocktail recipe calls for equal parts vodka and…
- Pineapple juice
- Apple juice
- Orange juice
- Pomegranate juice, plus…
- Orange wheels, for garnish
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
This recipe is very forgiving, so it’s easy to adjust it to your liking and what supplies you have on hand:
- Juices – if you don’t want to buy every single juice on this ingredients list, you don’t have to. Just use the same quantity of juices in whatever combination you’d like.
- Booze – likewise, this recipe is flexible. If you’d prefer to use rum or gin instead of vodka (or a combination of different spirits), go for it.
How to Make Trash Can Punch
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this big-batch trash can punch:
Step 1: combine all of the ingredients together in a large pitcher or your serving vessel.
Step 2: serve over ice and garnish with an orange wheel!
Recipe Tips
- Use the trash can for trash – If you want to go the authentically retro route, you can serve this big-batch cocktail recipe in a brand new, just-washed trash can. Otherwise, opt for a pretty drink dispenser!
- Party prep – If you’ve got the time, make this recipe a few hours in advance (or up to overnight). Store it in the fridge to give the flavors a chance to meld.
How to Serve
Serve this punch in a punch bowl, drinks dispenser…or a trash can, if you insist. Serve it over ice in clear glasses that let the color show through. Cheers!
How to Store
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container: it will keep for about a week. But be sure to leave out the fresh fruit garnish since this will make it deteriorate faster than just the juice and vodka alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
In my neck of the woods, we called it trash can punch…but you may know it as jungle juice or hairy buffalo. Whatever you call it, our grownup version of this nostalgic punch is a combination of pineapple, apple, orange, and pomegranate juices that make a fruity, refreshing, but not-too-sweet base for the punch. Then we top it off with a bit of vodka.
A note: you can totally leave the alcohol out of this and make a great fruit punch alternative for kids. This punch is super easy to throw together, and can be made the night or morning before your party so you don’t have to worry about mixing it up right before your guests arrive. We made a double batch and used this beverage dispenser, which worked like a charm and also added just a little more sophistication than a trash can would’ve.
While this grown-up trash can punch is really perfect for any gathering of a big crowd, we think it would lend itself particularly well to a pool- or beach-side sip, and would be fantastic for a summer BBQ too! We hope you enjoy this fun trip-down-memory-lane drink as much as we did!
More Favorite Cocktail Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Grown-Up Trash Can Punch, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Grown-Up Trash Can Punch
Ingredients
FOR A LARGE BATCH (6 SERVINGS):
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 orange, sliced, for garnish
FOR A SMALL BATCH (2 SERVINGS):
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup apple juice
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1/3 orange, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- For both a large batch and a small batch, mix all ingredients together and serve over ice!
Recipe Notes
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more people!
Nutrition
