No one really cares how trash can drinks started, and we don’t know the original author(s) of this trash can punch drink. No offense to the creator, though—everyone is definitely grateful for whoever came up with these crazy drinks.
These cocktail drinks are mainly served at parties and they taste so good that you’ll find yourself going back for more and more. Be careful though, or else you’re going to get so drunk that a blackout won’t be far off in your future.
Well, apart from a blackout, I also don’t want you puking all over the place…no one wants that, not even your potential date.
But, if you’re hosting a party and are at a loss for what you should serve, then you should try a trash can punch drink. It’s really easy to make, not stressful at all, and it requires no technical skills or special machine, hence it is a nice way to serve a lot of people a lot of alcohol.
What is the Relationship Between a Trash Can and Punch?
As the name implies, this is a punch that’s contained in a trash can. Before you all go eww and gross, you should be well aware that it tastes really good, and the trash can is ideally not dirty at all.
The trash can used should be completely unused, because otherwise no one would be drinking from it anyway, no matter how good and strong the drink. Please, be hygenic.
This cocktail consists of 3 main types of ingredients: there’s the alcohol (examples being Everclear, vodka, or whiskey), the fruit punch (with fruit juices as a substitute or an addition), and lastly, there are the fruits. Make sure the fruits are well washed and sliced before being added to the alcohol and fruit punch.
The aim of adding fruits is to allow the awesome flavors of the fruits to slowly infuse into the punch, thus making the punch have a fruity taste and yet still be strong enough to get anyone drunk.
As far as anyone can tell, this drink might have started at a college party or in someone’s room, but then, it doesn’t matter where it all started. It exists, there is a recipe for it, it is safe, and thus it can be drunk—that’s all that matters.
The number of ingredients can be adjusted according to taste. Some people tend to toss way more fruit in theirs, while others would rather have more fruit punch than alcohol, or the other way around. Others may want to ditch the fruit altogether.
There are no rules for making this drink, no special skill as already mentioned, and also, there are are many variations that exist.
How Easy Is It To Prepare This Cocktail?
The trash can punch ingredients are all easily accessible unless you were hoping to get a fruit that is currently out of season. More or less, everything is readily available.
The quantity of the ingredients used depends on the number of people you’re expecting for the party, so you can always adjust the amount of these ingredients.
If you’re not sure what quantity of each ingredient will be enough for your party, call a friend to help you estimate the amount. It would be really unfortunate if there wasn’t enough drink to go around to everybody.
Note: The ingredients below are for trash can punch with Everclear, but if you want one without Everclear because you’re not a fan of the drink, you can always opt for its substitute. Great substitutes for Everclear are tequila, gin, rum or triple sec.
For your basic trash can punch drink, you’ll need:
- 2 bottles of Everclear or substitute.
- 2 bottles of 100 proof vodka.
- 4 liters of Hawaiian fruit punch.
- Oranges, either sliced into thin circular slices or cut up into quarters.
- Grapes, added whole (so do not slice).
- Apples, cut into small sizes.
- 1 big watermelon, cut into slices with seeds removed.
- Strawberries.
- Ice—drinks are best served chilled, remember?
You would also need a new trash can since you obviously can’t use an old one. Wash the new trash can with soap and hot water and leave it to air-dry. Purchase a trash can that can adequately hold your trash can punch with vodka or Everclear. If you absolutely do not want to use a trash can, you can use a cooler, drink dispenser, or any other type of large container.
You’ll also need a long-handled spoon, such as a ladle. The ladle will help in stirring the ingredients together and also for serving the cocktail drink.
Serving cups. The quantity of cups needed depends on the number of guests. It’s better to have extra cups than to not have enough cups.
Toothpicks. The toothpicks are needed to prevent your guests from having a hard time picking out the fruits. Since the fruits are to be eaten, a toothpick will make them easier to pick up.
Notes:
- You can substitute the 100 proof vodka with flavored vodka. Preferably, a fruity flavored vodka. Apple or orange flavors work well.
- Hawaiian fruit punch can be substituted with any other type of fruit punch.
- A bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey can be added to the punch.
- Use fruit juices like pineapple juice, apple juice, lime juice, pomegranate syrup, or orange juice as substitutes for the fruit punch.
- Add 1 frozen can of Minute Maid Limeade. This is totally optional.
- Use only fresh fruits. This will be easier if you go with fruits that are in season, since they will definitely be fresher than fruits not in season.
Wash all fruits thoroughly and do not peel the fruits. Small-sized fruits like berries should be added whole after removing their stems, but others, like watermelon, can be diced or sliced into smaller sizes that can easily fit into your guest’s cup. Oh, don’t forget to remove the seeds!
Trash Can Punch Recipes – Nice and Easy
For a trash can punch without Everclear, using rum is an excellent choice —your own trash can punch rum!
Before making this cocktail drink, don’t forget to transfer every ingredient to the party site. The trash can should be exactly where it will be when the party starts. Doing this will ensure that you don’t stress yourself out by dragging around a full, sloshing trash can. This recipe, if using the ingredients above, will make a basic trash can punch.
To make, follow the steps:
- Get the trash can
- Pour the Everclear into the can, then add the vodka and Hawaiian fruit punch.
- Add the oranges, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, and apples into the can. Stir with a ladle.
- Add the ice to make the drink chilled. Keep some straws around too, as some people prefer to drink with a straw.
It’s better to make the drink way ahead of time before the party will start. This way, your drink will have enough time, at least 1 hour, to get the alcohol and fruit punch mix to absorb the flavor of the fruits The longer the time the punch is allowed to absorb the flavor of the fruits, the more flavorful the taste will be.
By the way, the ice shouldn’t be added until a few minutes before the start of the party. If you add the ice earlier than that, it will probably melt faster. Ice melts into water, so if the ice melts too soon, it will dilute the punch, thus weakening the flavor. Keep the ice handy and add it only when the party is about to begin.
Is Everclear Safe For Consumption?
Maybe you’ve heard that Everclear isn’t safe for drinking so you are worried. But consider, if it wasn’t safe then it wouldn’t be up there in that recipe.
Everclear is probably one of the strongest drinks you will ever come across. A hangover from this drink should be on the list of things you never ever want to experience. The drink is a colorless and flavorless alcohol that’s made from grain, which is why it is also called grain alcohol.
The drink is not to be consumed by itself as it is not an end product—even the label says to dilute it before consumption.
If you were planning to have a little taste of raw Everclear, just…don’t. It isn’t safe that way. It needs to be diluted. And that’s one more reason incorporating it into a cocktail drink is just perfect, since that’s really the best and most popular way of consuming Everclear.
However, if you’ve got your mind made up on making a trash can punch without Everclear, then use one of its substitutes. The drink has no flavor so all you would actually be missing is its intoxicating effect.
Yes, Everclear is safe to consume—but only after it has been diluted in water or used in a recipe that will ultimately dilute it. That’s the simple answer to the question regarding the safety of this drink.
Are there other versions of this drink? Yes, there are.
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There’s the version that does not use vodka or any vodka alternative. It is just Everclear, fruit punch,
and sliced fruits in this variation. - Another not-so-delightful type is the variation that ditches the fruit. There are no fruits, it’s just alcohol. No fruit juices either, in fact.
Instead, the mix contains Malibu coconut rum, Everclear, Stolichnaya vodka, Bacardi 151 rum, apple schnapps, and Hawaiian punch. The drinks are mixed together and served chilled. - And lastly, a St. Patrick’s day official drink—the green-colored Irish trash can. While this drink is preferably served around or on St. Patrick’s day, there’s no need to wait for that day to get a glass of it.
This drink is made without Everclear, and it contains light rum, gin, vodka, Blue Curacao liqueur, triple sec, and peach schnapps. Add ice in a Collins glass, fill it with the liquors, then open a can of Red Bull, turning it upside down in the glass. The Red Bull drink will slowly empty its contents as you drink.
Trash can punch drinks are definitely something to look forward to. If you have never had one at a party, then I wonder what kind of parties you’ve been going to. This drink is strong enough to get you really drunk so be careful about the quantity you drink.
Do not underestimate the intoxicating effect of this drink (or any drink for that matter). It is the perfect drink for a hot summer night party. Remember, drink responsibly!
