The Type Of Drink Dispenser You Should Have For Your Next Party

As you plan your next party, keep your eyes peeled for a drink dispenser with an infusion device. These can look like a cylinder through the center of the jug, a small enclosed cage, or any other shape. They all accomplish the same purpose: keeping the ingredients contained as they fill your bevy with flavorful infusions. Sure, you could just toss whatever garnishes and flavorful ingredients you desire directly into your batch of bevy. But, have you ever tossed a bouquet garnish into a pot of stock and ended up with bits of solid herbs scattered throughout? Don't let this happen to your drinks.

Using an infuser is a thrifty move because you'll get the flavorful benefit of your infused ingredients without having to place them in every single cup. As opposed to using a garnish to achieve the same ends, infusing cuts down on the amount of ingredients you'll need to buy and makes assembling drinks as simple as opening the tap.

Shop around and find the best infusion-equipped drink dispenser to suit your preferences; there are plenty of options and sizes. For example, rather than the classic cylindrical infusion device, this budget-friendly model from Webstaurant Store has a cage-shaped infusion device positioned around the spigot of the dispenser, so all the liquid is forced through the flavorful ingredients directly before being dispensed into the cup.

For best results, fill your drink dispenser with the liquids and infusion ingredients of your choice and allow them to sit for a while before serving. That way, the flavors have a chance to meld together. A few hours should do the trick, but after eight or more hours of infusing, those fruit slices or fresh herbs have probably done all they can do and should be pulled out and replaced.

Using an infuser is a great way to whip up a quick batch of refreshing sangria. You could infuse fresh raspberries and mint leaves into a dispenser of sweet tea. Or, elevate your homemade lemonade with an infusion of lavender sprigs. Alternatively, you could make rosemary-infused lemonade and stash a bottle of gin beside the drink dispenser for easy herbaceous Tom Collins cocktails. For a fall party, infuse orange slices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, and whole cloves into a dispenser full of mulled wine.

How about popping halved strawberries and basil leaves into the infuser and filling the drink dispenser with fizzy soda water for a light, sophisticated, spirit-free aperitif? This simple soda water bevy would also work well with grapefruit and rosemary, lemon wheels and raspberries, oranges and blackberries, or watermelon and lime wedges. Whatever flavors you choose, make sure to opt for fresh fruit and herbs. Quality counts with stripped-down recipes like these, and the ingredients will speak for themselves — for better or worse.