Whether you’re in your own backyard or toting something sweet and boozy to a barbecue across town, fruit-centered punches bring the season’s ripest offerings to the fore in an over-and-done-with format; as in, your work is finished for the afternoon. Pick your fruit and then think about what booze would deepen or brighten it. Stone fruits such as nectarines, cherries and peaches marry beautifully with bourbon; lime, ripe melons and mezcal can make for glorious margaritas; strawberries and Campari match up in color and complement each other’s flavors perfectly. Vodka, of course, is a blank page waiting for a dozen fruity hues.
For recipes, read Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Style.