Whenever I've hosted a holiday gathering, I've found that guests can sometimes have a deer-in-headlights reaction when I greet them with, "What would you like to drink?" This open-ended question can be a hard one for people, because they probably haven't thought about drinks yet, they're trying to figure out what you might have on hand, or they don't want to ask for anything too complicated.

Once I switched to having a big-batch drink ready to go, it became much easier. Turns out that most of my guests are more than happy to start with what I've already made, as it takes the guesswork and awkwardness out of the equation. "Would you like some mulled cider? I've got some rum or bourbon for spiking too!" is also a much, much more fun way to start a party.

Whether you're looking for something warm and fruity, cold and creamy, or boozy and bold, there's a big-batch eggnog, slow cooker drink, punch, or pitcher drink just waiting to be served at your next holiday or New Year's gathering. Cheers!

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