Labor Day Pool Party Drinks: An Easy Cocktail Plan for 20 Guests

Aug 26
3 min read

Three cocktails, 20 people and one less thing to figure out before the party.

A Labor Day pool party should feel like the last glorious exhale of summer—not an afternoon spent wondering whether you bought enough vodka.

So what should you serve? And, just as importantly, how much do you actually need?

We gave the Clever Parties Bar Planner a very simple brief:

Labor Day pool party. 20 people. Late afternoon. Just cocktails.

That was enough to start building the bar.

Instead of simply suggesting a list of summery drinks, the planner considered the size of the party, time of day and type of gathering and planned for approximately three drinks per guest.

The result: three colorful, refreshing cocktails that can be made in batches and served over ice.

The Labor Day Pool Party Cocktail Menu

Spiked Strawberry Lemonade

This is the easy crowd-pleaser: bright, summery and familiar enough that you won't spend the afternoon explaining what's in everyone's glass.

For approximately 20 servings:

30 oz vodka
60 oz lemonade
20 oz strawberry purée
Club soda to finish
Strawberry slices and lemon wheels for garnish

Mix the vodka, lemonade and strawberry purée ahead of time. Chill, then add club soda when you're ready to serve.

Coconut-Lime Rum Spritz

Light, tropical and made for sitting beside a pool.

For approximately 20 servings:

30 oz white rum
40 oz coconut water
10 oz fresh lime juice
20 oz sparkling water
Lime wheels for garnish
Toasted coconut rim, optional

Batch the rum, coconut water and lime juice ahead of time. Add sparkling water just before serving so it stays lively.

Blue Lagoon Punch

And because it's Labor Day, you need a little blue.

For approximately 20 servings:

20 oz vodka
10 oz Blue Curaçao
10 oz fresh lemon juice
40 oz lemon-lime soda
10 oz simple syrup
Lemon wheels and frozen blueberries for garnish

Combine everything except the soda ahead of time and chill. Add the soda when guests arrive.

Red, White and Blue Without Turning the Party Into a Theme Park

You don't need flag-covered everything to give a Labor Day party a little patriotic personality.

Let the drinks do most of the work.

The strawberry lemonade brings the red. The Blue Lagoon brings the blue. The Coconut-Lime Spritz keeps things fresh and light between them.

Add red, white and blue striped paper straws, plenty of ice and simple fruit garnishes and you're done.

It feels festive without trying too hard.

The Part Most Hosts Actually Need Help With

Coming up with a pretty cocktail is easy.

Figuring out what to serve for your particular party—and how much to buy—is harder.

Twenty people at a late-afternoon pool party is different from eight people at dinner. A cocktail-forward birthday is different from an open house where guests are coming and going. A three-hour gathering is different from a party that starts by the pool and continues through dinner.

That's why we built the Clever Parties Bar Planner.

Tell it what you're planning—your occasion, number of guests and the kind of gathering you have in mind—and let it help you figure out what to pour.