By Stephen Phillips

A party isn't a party until you give it a little punch.

A bowl of punch, that is, full of fruit juices and sparkly beverages and spiked with alcohol. Ladle up some cups of liquor-laced punch for your guests and you'll get the party started.

The word punch comes from the Hindi word for five, panch. British sailors brought the word and the beverage back to England in the 18th century. Originally, punch was made from five ingredients: arrack (a type of spirit), sugar, lemon, water and tea or spices. It evolved into a drink fit to serve a crowd and made from an endless array of ingredients, the number limited only by the punch maker's creativity.

Here are 11 punch recipes that have always been party favorites. Some are elegant, some exotic and some just plain ol’ fun. Nearly all of them serve a crowd of people. So, are you ready? Mix it, shake it and go.

Canton Ginger Passion Punch
A handcrafted liqueur sets this punch apart

Caribbean Cruise Punch
A boat drink with two kinds of rum

Champagne Punch
A classic party punch

Champagne Ginger Punch
A creative twist on a classic punch

Deee-Litchi Pomegranate Punch
An exotic quaff for adventurous punch-sippers

Momma Price's Great Old Fashioned Texas Punch
This recipe makes a gallon of sweet punch and serves 35 people.

Rum Punch
Rum lovers will love this solid party punch

Santana Sangria Punch
A fruity punch named for the guitar hero, Carlos Santana

South African Mango Rooibos Mint Punch
A special tea is the magic ingredient in this punch

Summer on the Porch Punch
A special, single-serving of punch you can enjoy all by yourself

Watermelon Champagne Punch
Sweet melon makes this punch special

Tip:
Be careful not to add too much alcohol to your punch. You can always add more, but you can't take it out! So add a little spirit to your punch, give it a taste, then add a little more if you like.

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