Christmas Punch Recipe
- Preparation 10 min
- Refrigeration 2 h
- Servings 12
- Freezing Absolutely
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🎄 The punch that goes around the table all holiday season!
A big punch bowl in the middle of the table, a ladle, little cups, and everybody serves themselves. Cranberry juice, orange, cider, honey, cinnamon and star anise, with cranberries floating on top and orange slices everywhere: it looks great, it is cold, and it is unreal. You bring it out at Christmas, on New Year’s, and at every holiday party, because there is never any left at the bottom of the bowl!
🥣 Everything in the bowl, two hours in the fridge
Nothing cooks. You thin the honey, pour everything into the punch bowl except the ice, stir and forget it in the fridge for two hours. The spices and the fruit have time to give their flavour. Right before serving, add the ice and the rosemary, and you are good to go.
🍹 With rum, or alcohol-free
The rum is to taste. But if you want a holiday punch everyone can drink, kids included, leave out the rum and swap the cider for lime or lemon sparkling water. I drank it alcohol-free, and it was absolutely unreal.
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🍯 Thin the honey before it goes in the bowl
There is always someone in the family with an old punch bowl. Mine has a foot underneath, and the first time, all the honey collected down there. Honey thickens in a cold liquid and sinks instead of mixing in. Thin it first with a little orange or cranberry juice, then pour it into the bowl: it will spread all through.
🌿 Rosemary, only at serving time
I add it at the end so it doesn’t take over. Tap the sprigs two or three times on the counter before dropping them in: it releases their essential oils and their aroma.
🧃 Pure cranberry juice, not cocktail
Use pure, unsweetened cranberry juice. The honey and the orange juice already bring the sweetness. With cranberry cocktail, your punch would turn way too sweet.
🥃 A lightly spiced dark rum
That is what I put in mine. The amount is to taste: start with half a cup and go up if you like.
🍹 The alcohol-free version
No rum, and the hard cider gets replaced with lime or lemon sparkling water. A non-alcoholic cider does the job just as well. I drank it that way, and it was absolutely unreal.
🧊 Ice at the last minute
Ice waters the punch down as it melts, no question. That is why it goes in right before serving, not in the fridge. If the party runs long, add more ice as you go.
🎄 Fresh cranberries floating on top
They float, and that is what gives it the look. Frozen ones work, but during the holidays you will find fresh ones at every grocery store.
📅 Make-ahead prep
The day before, put your juices and cider in the fridge so they are good and cold. The punch itself gets built two hours before serving, not earlier. Making the base the night before doesn’t do much, and you don’t want the orange slices soaking all night.
🎉 About a dozen glasses, and none left over
The recipe makes about a dozen glasses. At our place there was none left the next day: it goes fast. For a big party, just double the recipe.
✅ What to serve with my Christmas punch
On a holiday drinks table, set it next to my traditional eggnog with rum and my sparkling eggnog with rum. For guests who don’t drink, my alcohol-free cranberry amaretto sour picks up the cranberry, and my best homemade red wine sangria also works in a big batch.
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Punch
- ½ cup (125 ml) organic honey
- 8 cups (2 L) pure unsweetened cranberry juice
- 2 cups (500 ml) orange juice with pulp
- 2 cups (500 ml) hard apple cider
- ½ to ¾ cup (125 to 180 ml) lightly spiced dark rum, to taste
- Zest of 1 large lime
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 cup (250 ml) fresh cranberries
- 2 oranges, thinly sliced
- About 4 cups (1 L) ice cubes
Garnish
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
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Preparation
- In a small bowl, thin the honey with a little orange juice or cranberry juice, stirring until it is fully liquid.
- In a large punch bowl, pour in the cranberry juice, orange juice, cider, rum and thinned honey. Add the lime zest, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cranberries and orange slices. Stir.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Right before serving, add about 4 cups (1 L) of ice. Tap the rosemary sprigs two or three times on the counter, then drop them into the punch.
- Ladle into punch cups or glasses.
One you can build in a bowl in ten minutes and that everyone can serve themselves: pure cranberry juice, orange juice with pulp, cider, honey, cinnamon and star anise, with cranberries and orange slices floating on top. Two hours in the fridge, ice right before serving, and it disappears.
This one, minus the rum, with the hard cider swapped for lime or lemon sparkling water or a non-alcoholic cider. Everything else stays the same. I drank it alcohol-free, and it was absolutely unreal.
A lightly spiced dark rum is what I use. It goes well with the cinnamon, star anise and orange. The amount is to taste: ½ to ¾ cup for the whole recipe.
It doesn’t really help. Two hours in the fridge is enough for the spices and fruit to give their flavour, and the orange slices gain nothing from soaking overnight. The day before, chill your juices and cider instead.
On a holiday drinks table, with my traditional eggnog with rum and, for those who don’t drink, my alcohol-free cranberry amaretto sour.
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