Mudslinger Punch

A large-format party punch of peach liqueur, orange juice and cola in equal volumes. 750mL peach schnapps, one liter orange juice, 750mL cola, mixed in a punch bowl and ladled into glasses. Drinks bright-peach with a dark cola finish; sized for a group of fifteen or more.

Mudslinger

4.34 from 12 votes

Calories: 2448kcal

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Ingredients

▢ 750 mL Peach Liqueur
▢ 1 Liter(s) Orange Juice
▢ 750 mL Cola

Instructions

▢
Add ingredients to a large jug or punch bowl and stir well.

Estimated Nutrition:

Calories: 2448kcal (122%)Carbohydrates: 349g (116%)Sugar: 333g (370%)

Punch

Where it came from

The Mudslinger is an American party punch named for the dark muddy colour the peach liqueur takes on once it mixes with the cola. The build is a 1990s and 2000s house-party staple in the Midwest and the South; equal volumes of peach schnapps, orange juice and cola in a large punch bowl, ladled into plastic cups for a group.

It sits in the large-format-punch family with the Trash Can Punch, the Hairy Buffalo and the Spodi. All four lean on a sweet liqueur or a fortified mixer plus juice plus a cola or soda for volume. The Mudslinger separates itself with the peach-schnapps lead, which gives a brighter front than the citrus-and-vodka party punches.

Best served at a backyard barbeque, a tailgate or a casual house party, not at a craft cocktail bar. The format is volume-first; the recipe is built to scale up cleanly to a thirty-person gathering with bigger bowls and more bottles.

What it tastes like

Sweet peach up front, soft orange and cola through the middle, dark caramel finish. The combination is sweeter than expected for a punch; the peach schnapps and the cola both contribute sugar, while the orange juice cuts through with a citrus-acid bite. Reads as a sweet tropical-and-cola pour.

Around 9 percent ABV in the punch bowl. 750mL of peach schnapps at 20 percent ABV stretched over a liter of orange juice and 750mL of cola gives a moderate-strength long pour. Each cup of about six ounces holds roughly two-thirds of a standard drink; a session of three or four cups adds up fast.

The technique

Combine 750mL of peach schnapps, one liter of cold orange juice and 750mL of cold cola in a large punch bowl. Stir gently with a long bar spoon. Add a block of ice or a frozen-fruit ring. Ladle into plastic cups or punch glasses. Garnish with orange slices.

The block ice is the technique. Loose ice cubes melt fast and dilute the punch in twenty minutes; a single large block of frozen water (or a frozen-fruit ring) chills the bowl without watering it down. Stir once at start and let the ice work; do not shake. Serve within ninety minutes for the freshest pour.

Drink Buddy Exclusive

Tell us what's in your cabinet.

Our Cocktail Builder takes whatever bottles you've got and hands you every drink you can actually make tonight.

Open the Builder →

Get the Drink Buddy newsletter

One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.

Plus the recipes we drop before they hit the site. Zero spam.

Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

The peach schnapps

Use: Archers, DeKuyper Peachtree, or any 20 percent ABV peach liqueur.
Skip: Peach brandy or peach wine. Wrong sweetness and wrong concentration.
Why: Peach schnapps is the load-bearing flavour and the colour. The infused-liqueur format gives a sharper peach character than a fresh-peach puree at this volume; without it the punch reads as orange-and-cola with no peach signature.

The orange juice

Use: Cold fresh-squeezed or cold pulp-free 100 percent orange juice.
Skip: Orange-flavoured drinks with high-fructose corn syrup. Wrong sweetness curve.
Why: Orange juice is the volume and the citrus cut. The natural acidity bridges the peach and the cola; without it the punch reads as a sweet syrupy pour with no balance.

The cola

Use: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or any full-sugar cola, freshly opened and cold.
Skip: Diet or zero-sugar cola. Wrong sweetness curve.
Why: Full-sugar cola is the dark colour and the caramel finish. The kola-nut and vanilla notes round off the peach and the orange; diet cola loses the caramel character and the punch reads thin.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

The standard build

Mudslinger, by the bowl: 750mL peach schnapps, 1L orange juice, 750mL cola in a punch bowl with a block of ice. Ladle into plastic cups. Serves fifteen.

The single-serve build

Mudslinger, by the glass: Two ounces peach schnapps, three ounces orange juice, two ounces cola in a highball glass with ice. Single drink, same flavour balance.

The boozy build

Mudslinger with vodka: Add 350mL of vodka to the bowl. Pulls the punch toward a stiffer pour; flavour balance shifts slightly toward the spirit.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No peach schnapps?

Apricot liqueur or apricot brandy. Different stone-fruit profile, holds the sweet liqueur slot.

No fresh orange juice?

Bottled 100 percent orange juice. Different texture, holds the citrus cut.

No cola?

Root beer or Dr Pepper. Different spice profile, holds the dark caramel finish.

No punch bowl?

A clean 5-quart pot or a large pitcher works. The volume is the constraint, not the bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Mudslinger Punch?

750mL of peach schnapps, one liter of orange juice and 750mL of cola in a large punch bowl with a block of ice. Three ingredients, ladled into cups, serves fifteen.

Why is it called a Mudslinger?

Named for the dark muddy colour the peach liqueur takes on once it mixes with the cola. The brown punch in the bowl looks more like mud than a typical bright punch; the name stuck in 1990s and 2000s house-party culture.

How strong is a Mudslinger Punch?

Around 9 percent ABV in the bowl. Each six-ounce cup holds roughly two-thirds of a standard drink. The punch drinks easy; pace yourself, the alcohol load adds up across three or four cups.

What does it taste like?

Sweet peach up front, soft orange and cola through the middle, dark caramel finish. Reads as a sweet tropical-and-cola pour with a citrus cut.

How many drinks does the recipe make?

About fifteen six-ounce cups from a single bowl, depending on the ice melt and the cup size. Doubles cleanly for a thirty-person gathering.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Mix the peach schnapps and orange juice up to two hours ahead and refrigerate. Add the cola at service time so the carbonation stays intact; flat cola kills the texture and the dark colour.

Is the Mudslinger related to the Mudslide?

No, despite the name. The Mudslide is a coffee-liqueur-and-Irish-cream cocktail in a frozen blender format; the Mudslinger is a peach-and-cola punch. Different families, similar dark colours.

What other large punches are similar?

A Trash Can Punch, a Hairy Buffalo, a Spodi and an Apartment Punch. All four lean on a sweet liqueur or fortified spirit plus juice plus a soda for the large-format party-bowl pour.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read