If You're Making Punch For A Crowd, Master The Vortex Pour

You've definitely been there — you need to make a large batch of your favorite punch recipe quickly for a party. You went to pour your liquid from a bottle and were met with that slow glugging that — while seriously auditorily satisfying — meant your drink was pouring out practically at a snail's pace, leaving your guests thirsty and you desperate for a better solution. Well, here it is: the vortex pour. It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but this simple hack promises to cut your drink preparation time in half, and you don't need any special bartending tools to do it.

It's simple: Before you pour your liquid (whether water, juice, or alcohol) out of your bottle, swirl the bottle around for a few seconds to create a vortex (think liquid tornado) and allow air to enter your bottle. Air entering the bottle at the same time that liquid tries to escape creates that slow-paced glugging effect, so letting the air in first will stop it from slowing down your pouring process and will allow you to make — and serve — your punch quicker. In fact, this hack can save you roughly 10 seconds or so when emptying a 2-liter bottle, which is a win, if you ask us.

Wondering if this brilliant hack has some variations? You're in luck. If you want to give off cool bartender vibes, wait until your guests are watching, flip your bottle between 45 and 60 degrees, and then swirl it immediately afterwards. Doing so while pouring your liquid will create the same time-saving effect and even stream of liquid as doing it beforehand, and it makes it much easier to pour from two bottles at the same time. And, you don't need to spend a lot of time swirling — two or three good rotations should do the trick. Further, if you tilt the bottle back and forth a bit while pouring, it may cause your liquid to exit even faster.

Alternatively, you can place a bended straw into the bottle, bend it upwards, then turn the bottle upside down. Sometimes called a "strawpedo," this method is effective at creating an entry point for air in the bottle, which will allow your liquid to flow out evenly. When it comes to making punch for a crowd, swirl away.