‘Tis the season for holiday drinks, and my easy Christmas Punch recipe! If you’re hosting Christmas dinner parties, this easy-to-prep festive punch makes the perfect fruity cocktail your guests will love. It only takes a few simple ingredients and a large punch bowl to get the party started.
This punch is light, bubbly, refreshing, and not overly sweet. Serve it up in glass cups or mugs so you can see all of the festive colors and garnishes! It’s the perfect batch cocktail to make serving your guests a breeze. For more cheery Christmas cocktail recipes, try my peppermint martini, coquito, and homemade eggnog.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cranberry Juice – while I recommend using 100% juice for the other juices in this recipe, I suggest using a cranberry juice cocktail instead of unsweetened cranberry juice to avoid being too sour.
Pomegranate Juice – fruity and sour with a deep wine-like flavor, this juice also adds a beautiful holiday red color to your punch bowl.
Orange Juice – adds the perfect hint of tang and citrusy-sweetness. Opt for pulp-free orange juice to keep the punch nice and smooth.
Ginger Ale – use regular ginger ale, avoiding diet ginger ale, for the fullest-body punch flavor. You could use ginger beer for a spicier kick!
Vodka – for the smoothest and mildest vodka, choose an 80-proof brand. Rum or gin works just as well in this recipe and can be swapped 1:1 with vodka!
Garnishes – fresh orange slices and cranberries floating on top of the punch make this recipe holiday-ready.
How to Make Christmas Punch
1. Chill all the ingredients well. Combine the juices in a large punch bowl.
2. Add in ginger ale, pouring it gently into the bowl so it doesn’t foam up to much and lose all of the carbonation.
3. Pour in the vodka. (I like to put the vodka bottle in the freezer and pull it out right before adding to the punch so it’s nice and cold.)
4. Garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries. Serve in glasses filled with ice.
Pro-Tips For Making This Recipe
- Chill the ingredients first. If the ingredients are cold before preparing the punch, you won’t need to add ice cubes to the punch bowl to keep it cool, which can dilute the flavors!
- Serve the punch with ice. Though you can serve punch on ice if you need to keep it cold during your Christmas parties, it can dilute the flavors if added to the entire punch bowl. This is why I make the punch without the ice and serve it in individual cups filled with ice.
- Don’t skip the garnishes. I highly recommend including fresh cranberries and orange slices as the garnish for both flavor and festive presentation. Additionally, you can add pomegranate seeds, fresh rosemary sprigs, or cinnamon sticks.
- Optional variations. If you want to sweeten up the punch without added sugar, add some pineapple juice or apple cider to taste. Additionally, you can substitute the ginger ale with ginger beer for more spice, or add a few tablespoons of lime juice or lemon juice or a stronger lemon-lime soda for a more citrusy flavor.
- Optional: make a non-alcoholic version. Turn alcoholic Christmas punch into an alcohol-free drink the whole family can enjoy by swapping the vodka or rum for apple cider, pineapple juice, or sparking apple cider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Holiday punch is best enjoyed the day you make it because the soda will go flat and start to lose its fizziness after a few hours. If you anticipate having leftovers, I recommend first mixing everything EXCEPT the soda. Then add in the soda right before serving, or top off each serving glass to keep it fresh and fizzy! The mixture without the soda will keep for up to 1 week stored in the refrigerator, depending on the expiration date of the juices.
This punch makes a great addition to your Christmas party bar! It’s festive enough to be the star of the show alongside snack platters or savory hors d’oeuvres like my cheeseball, baked brie, or bacon-wrapped dates.
Depending on the size and duration of your party, I’d recommend planning for at least 2 Christmas drinks per guest. This recipe makes 14 servings, which is great for a small group of people. If you plan to have a larger group at your Christmas celebrations, I’d recommend doubling this recipe. You can mix up everything minus the soda in a large pitcher and store it in the fridge for a refill too!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Christmas Punch recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Christmas Punch
Equipment
- Punch bowl or large pitcher
Ingredients
- 6 cups cranberry juice (1.44L)
- 2 cups pomegranate juice (480ml)
- 2 cups orange juice (480ml)
- 1 liter ginger ale
- 2 cups vodka (rum works as well)
- Orange slices for garnish
- Fresh cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Chill all of the ingredients well.
- Combine the juices, ginger ale, and vodka in a large punch bowl. Garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries. Serve in glasses filled with ice.
Notes
- Chill the ingredients first. If the ingredients are cold before preparing the punch, you won’t need to add ice cubes to the punch bowl to keep it cool, which can dilute the flavors!
- Serve the punch with ice. Though you can serve punch on ice if you need to keep it cold during your Christmas parties, it can dilute the flavors if added to the entire punch bowl. This is why I make the punch without the ice and serve it in individual cups filled with ice.
- Don’t skip the garnishes. I highly recommend including fresh cranberries and orange slices as the garnish for both flavor and festive presentation. Additionally, you can add pomegranate seeds, fresh rosemary sprigs, or cinnamon sticks.
- Optional variations. If you want to sweeten up the punch without added sugar, add some pineapple juice or apple cider to taste. Additionally, you can substitute the ginger ale with ginger beer for more spice, or add a few tablespoons of lime juice or lemon juice or a stronger lemon-lime soda for a more citrusy flavor.
- Optional: make a non-alcoholic version. Turn alcoholic Christmas punch into an alcohol-free drink the whole family can enjoy by swapping the vodka or rum for apple cider, pineapple juice, or sparking apple cider.
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