This Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Punch From Childhood Belongs At Grown-Up Gatherings

Punch has long been the centerpiece of church potlucks, Christmas parties, and frat house ragers. Few things can satisfy a crowd quite like a huge bowl of mixed juices and floating gems of fruit, Jell-O, and, of course, sherbet. If you've been reminiscing over youthful days filled with rainbow sherbet punch, we're here to reassure you that this drink deserves a spot at your next get-together, no special occasion needed.

When and where sherbet punch was invented is a fact shrouded in mystery. The origin of sherbet, less so. Humans have been enjoying frozen treats since as far back as 4000 B.C.E. The sherbet and ice cream we recognize today are widely believed to have originated in Italy in the 1600s. Fast forward to the 1950s, when rainbow sherbet was invented by a clever employee at Sealtest Dairies in Pennsylvania, and your grandma's favorite party punch was born. We'll never know exactly who the first person was to add multiflavored rainbow sherbet to a punch bowl and top it with juice, fizzy soda, and sliced fruits, but the recipe spread far and fast. The concoction is texturally intriguing, sweet, and refreshing, with just a hint of creaminess, and requires you to measure ingredients with only your heart. That, and the endless possibilities of flavor combinations and add-ins, made this drink very popular in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. It's also why rainbow sherbet punch is very worth reviving at your next adult gathering.

Modernize sherbet punch by getting creative with the flavors and adding a little booze to the mix. A standard sherbet punch recipe requires sherbet, obviously, a fruit juice like pineapple, orange, or cranberry, and a fizzy element like ginger ale or lemon lime soda. The simplest way to adultify this recipe would be to swap out the soda for prosecco, adding some light alcohol content along with the tart bubbles. A tropical rum punch would be delicious with the addition of rainbow sherbet, or even a piña colada swirled sorbet. Breathe new life into a college favorite by plopping a container of rainbow sherbet into a classic jungle juice recipe.

Deviate from the church recipe vibes by making a watermelon and tequila sherbet punch. Start by whipping up an easy 2-ingredient watermelon sherbet, and then top it with a combination of watermelon juice, limeade, reposado tequila, and a little bit of triple sec. Add some mint simple syrup, frozen jalapeno slices, or Tajin for extra flavor, and you've got a punch that your adult guests are sure to love. If you're more of a bourbon drinker, try covering a tub of raspberry sherbet with ginger ale, mint simple syrup, and your favorite rye whiskey or bourbon for a whimsical play on a mint julep and Kentucky mule hybrid. Really, any cocktail can be turned into a sherbet punch with ease. The sheer versatility makes sherbet punch the perfect party centerpiece, so it might be time to break out your grandma's heirloom punch bowl and put it to work.