King's Day drinks

Allow eight 12.5 cl glasses per liter, or six more generous 16 cl servings. A 1.5-liter pitcher is therefore enough for about twelve glasses, and two of those pitchers will go a long way for an afternoon with twelve guests, especially if water and a non-alcoholic option are also available. Keep in mind that melting ice will add to the volume, so don't fill the pitcher completely to the brim.

Everything you do the night before is something you don't have to do on the day itself. Juice the fruit and store it covered in the fridge, chill the bottles, and cut the fruit and keep it in a container covered with plastic wrap: that saves half an hour in the morning. Large 4 cm ice cubes melt noticeably more slowly than cubes from a standard tray, so freeze those in advance too. Place the pitcher in a bucket with ice and water instead of ice alone; water conducts heat better and keeps the pitcher cooler.

A pitcher or punch bowl saves you from mixing all day. Use a simple ratio: for one part spirits, add just over three parts juice, plus a splash of sparkling water. Prepare the base without ice or sparkling water, chill it, and only top it up when the guests arrive. A dispenser with a tap is more convenient on a balcony than a pitcher, because nobody has to lift it; an ordinary serving pitcher works just as well for a smaller group. Put a pitcher without alcohol next to it with the same juice, so nobody has to ask what's in it.

For King's Day, many municipalities temporarily ban glass in the busiest part of the city. Exactly what applies varies by municipality and by year, so check before taking glassware outside. Glass is generally allowed on your own balcony or pavement, but shatterproof glassware is more practical there too: it can tip over without causing problems, and you can stack it. The shatterproof glasses are reusable, so you won't be left with a bag of disposable cups.

Beer is at least as commonplace as a cocktail on King's Day, and that is precisely where the glass ban comes into play. An unbreakable 40 cl glass holds about the same as a regular hospitality beer glass, so you can pour a pilsner into it without it looking out of place. If you do want real glass at home, you will find the models among the beer glasses. Pour into a tilted glass and straighten it for the last part, and you will get a head of about two centimeters.

Children drink the same as everyone else on King's Day, only without alcohol. The same orange base of orange juice with sparkling water and a slice of orange is already one option. There are also recipes made especially for the occasion: view the children's cocktails, the Shirley Temple or a Virgin Mojito. More alcohol-free options can be found among the mocktails. NIX18: under 18, no alcohol.