Green Home Time

Festive Fruit Punch

Celebration Fruit Punch recipe is the cocktail for getting together, especially during Christmas, parties, Easter, Thanksgiving and Mother's Day celebrations. It is fizzy, it is vibrant, it lacks massive sugar-hit in particular, and it is as strong as you would like it to be, or as virgin.

It's perfect for parties because it's a large-batch serve-yourself beverage, as opposed to those crafted cocktail by cocktail!

Celebration Fruit Punch!

I have been ridiculed for calling this a 'Celebration' Fruit Punch – but could you seriously tell me this does not scream 'happy'?? It is more than just that old fruit punch, right?? 😉

Actually, Punch is just a drink which is prepared from a combination of fruit juice. There are no restrictions as to what needs to be inserted into it and it is available in many different colours from orange to yellow pink and even crystal.

This one is bright red – name appropriate, feel!!!

What goes in Fruit Punch

Here is the recipe that goes to this Celebration Fruit Punch. This is due to the cranberry juice which really gives the food a beautiful bright red colour!

Alcohol is 100% optional. What this has also meant is that it works equally well with and without. In fact, I make punch so that you don't even get a hint of it; so technically there is no difference in the taste!

This really tasty fruit punch does leave a pleasant, slightly fizzy feeling and you'll be extremely glad to know that it isn't sickly sweet at all!

And here are the fruits I placed on it – for colours, the theatrical sense of placing the drink, as well as an overall experience of the punches!

How to make Fruit Punch

Only two elements are needed, and it's enough to pour them in and give the mixture a light shake. Ice is not compulsory – use it sparingly, since if your punch is going to be standing around for awhile, you do not want the ice to melt and watery the punch.

Why not freeze the fruit instead? This will help chills the punch for serving while still maintaining the flavor since water usually dilutes the flavor of the punch.

Punch serving dish

Originally, fruit punch is presented in punch bowls which are simply large bowls with a respective spoon for scooping.

I do not have such a bowl. Sometimes I cannot find justification for the space required when there are other serving vehicles that do the job nearly as well – if not better; and usually as a double duty!" For instance, the pictured trifle bowl. Isn't it great for serving punch!

I have also once used glass vases and once I have been to a party where it was served in a fish bowl. I wish I could have recorded myself, I laughed so hard tears were streaming down my face but it was exactly 100% perfect!

Ingredients

Fruit Punch

  • 4 cups (1 L / 1 qt) cranberry juice or cranberry pomegranate juice, chilled, not the light version (Note 1)
  • 2 cups or 500 ml of ginger ale, well chilled and not ginger beer, (Note 2)
  • 4 cups (1 L / 1 qt) sparkling apple juice – chilled (optional, non alcoholic, Note 3)
  • 1 1/2 cups, 375ml, white rum (Bacardi); may exclude

Add Ins (Mix and Match!)

  • 1 orange, halved, sliced then halved again
  • 1 lemon – small , cut into circle
  • 1 cup strawberries, halved or quartered
  • 3/4 cup mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • Ice , if necessary (when adding ice there may be an issue of dilution consider using ice cubes that do not melt when places in the drink)

Instructions

  1. Add contents of Pour Fruit Punch into a large jar, any container you can find or, as I used, a trifle dish.
  2. Stir after adding the fruit very gently because they should not be agitated to much.
  3. Best served hot and it is given by pouring into a mug or a ladle well-fitted for serving. As they need to be made fizzy for the experiences to stay alive longer, it is advisable to create this just before serving.

Recipe Notes:

  1. Cranberry Juice – Get Cranberry juice (as Ocean Spray Cranberry Classic varieties) or Cranberry Pomegranate juice. DO NOT sub for anything labelled LIGHT or LOW SUGAR or PURE Cranberry Juice as it is VERY sour. If by any chance you get the wrong one, there will be a real need to sweeten the punch. You only need to boil water and dissolve sugar into it, and then pour into punch to one's desire.
  2. Ginger Ale - not ginger BEER. That ginger ale, of course, is simply carbonated water that has been, you guessed it, spiced with ginger. Ginger beer unlike ginger ale is fermented but not alcoholic, it contains a stronger ginger and spice taste. It will still be nice with ginger beer – but the taste will be a little off!
  3. Sparkling apple juice – something as simple as apple juice that is just carbonated. Can sub with non alcoholic apple cider or alcoholic apple cider (hard apple cider).
  4. Alcohol – you can add as much of it to a beer malt as you desire but unfortunately cannot easily taste it. Cointreau also great for splash of orange flavour to. Can also sub with vodka.
  5. Fruit additions preference is solely on colour here! Colourful fruit is appealing and also adds a burst of natural colors, followed by mint for green and the fresh smell that goes along with it. Red and white is so nice See an amazing combination of colors.
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