Christmas Punch
Fabulously festive, Christmas Punch is a jingle-tastic mix of cider, juices, bubbly soda, colorful oranges, fresh mint, and cinnamon sticks!
Why We Love This Recipe for Christmas Punch
- Christmas Punch is a beautifully festive drink bursting with seasonal colors, perfect for all those holiday parties.
- This Christmas Punch recipe is a breeze to make and you can even prepare most of it ahead of time so that you’re a little less rushed before the party!
- While garnishes may feel extra in other drinks, the gorgeous orange slices, sprigs of rosemary and mint, and fresh cranberries in this punch make everyone exclaim “Ho Ho Ho”!
- For a Christmas morning punch or family-friendly punch, you can leave the rum out and/or add it to individual glasses instead. You can also choose to use spiced rum or flavored vodkas for a bigger holiday kick!
What is Christmas Punch Made of?
JUICE: To make this festive punch you will need apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice, and pomegranate juice. Low-sugar options are fine to use in this punch.
SODA: Bring the bubbles to the party by picking up ginger ale to add to the punch.
ALCOHOL: If you would like to spike the punch, then purchase your favorite gold or silver rum for this recipe. You can also use dark rum, spiced rum, or flavored vodka.
FRUIT: Grab a few oranges to slice for the punch bowl and a bag of fresh cranberries to float in the punch.
SPICES/HERBS: You will need a few cinnamon sticks and a couple of sprigs of rosemary and mint to add to the punch bowl. Purchase a little more of these ingredients if you would like to garnish individual glasses as well.
How to Make Christmas Punch
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Pour the ice, apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice, pomegranate juice, ginger ale, and rum into a large punch bowl.
STEP 2 Stir the punch and then add the cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices.
STEP 3 Garnish the punch with sprigs of rosemary and mint and serve.
Tips & Tricks
- You can skip the rum to make this an all-ages punch bowl and just add 1 ounce of rum to the glass of punch for those who would like it.
- Feel free to use dark rum, spiced rum, or flavored vodka, like vanilla or cranberry vodka, in place of the gold rum. You can also double the amount of rum in the recipe for a bigger kick, otherwise, the rum has a pretty subtle flavor.
- Adding extra garnish to each glass, an orange slice, a few cranberries, and sprigs of herbs makes the evening more festive and fun!
- To make this punch ahead of time: Combine the juices and rum in the punch bowl. Chill this in the fridge until you are ready. When it’s time to serve, add the ice, ginger ale, fruits, and cinnamon sticks and stir to combine.
Christmas Punch Recipe FAQ
What is the most popular drink at Christmas?
Christmas punch is the most popular drink at Christmas! There are a few ways to make this holiday treat but generally, they are made with a mix of apple cider, juices, sparkling wine or soda, rum, and fresh fruit.
As you might have guessed, eggnog is also one of the most popular drinks of the season, and with recipes like Fireball Eggnog and Homemade Eggnog, that’s not much of a surprise! Mulled wine, hot chocolate, and Wassail are also very in demand at this time of year.
What is another name for Christmas punch?
Another name for Christmas punch is the traditional English drink known as Wassail. While Christmas punch is a cold drink, Wassail is a hot, spiced-infused apple cider that also contains brandy or sometimes sherry. Wassail is more similar to Mulled Cider, as both use apple cider, oranges, and spices, or Mulled Wine, a hot, spiced wine that is also popular during the holiday season.
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Christmas Punch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups ice
- 4 cups apple cider chilled
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 4 cups ginger ale
- 3 cups orange juice
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup gold rum (see note)
- 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
- 1 orange thinly sliced
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- Fresh mint for garnish
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Add the ice to a large punch bowl. Pour in the apple cider, cranberry juice, ginger ale, orange juice, pomegranate juice, and rum (if using). Stir to combine.
- Add the frozen cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon stick to the punch bowl.
- When you're ready to serve, ladle the punch into glasses, garnish with fresh mint and rosemary, and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can skip the rum to make this an all-ages punch and just add 1 ounce of rum to the glass of punch for those who would like it. Or omit the rum and add an extra cup of ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to the punch bowl.
- If you don’t have gold rum on hand, silver rum, dark rum, spiced rum, or flavored vodka (like vanilla or cranberry) are all good options for a substitution.
- Make this punch ahead of time: Combine the juices and rum in the punch bowl. Chill this in the fridge until you are ready. When it’s time to serve, add the ice, ginger ale, fruits, and cinnamon sticks and stir to combine.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.