Mulled wine punch is boring and screams of yesteryear. Jazz up your holiday party with a refreshing punch—a twist on eggnog or classic cocktail. These party punches make entertaining a breeze and surely will please your guests.
Pro tip: Get creative with your presentation! Make a giant ice cube with a bunt pan or freeze berries and herbs in ice cube trays.
Bowery Punch
via Food52.com, adapted from Alex Day of Death & Co.
Ingredients (serves 6)
12 white sugar cubes
1 cup of club soda, divided
3/4 cup of Tanqueray gin
1/4 cup of Cappelletti, or other similar bitter apertif
1/4 cup of grapefruit juice
1/4 cup of lemon juice
4?dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
Grapefruit slices, for garnish
Directions
1. In a 1-quart pitcher, muddle the sugar with half of the club soda until the cubes are broken up and are starting to dissolve. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the remaining 4 ounces of club soda) and fill the pitcher 3/4 of the way full with good, solid ice cubes. 3. Stir for 15 to 20 seconds until cold, and then strain into a punch bowl over a large block of ice. (Alternatively, strain into individual glasses over fresh ice.) 4. Top with the remaining 4 ounces of club soda, garnish with grapefruit slices, and ladle into punch glasses.
Poinsettia Punch
via saveur.com
Ingredients (serves 1)
2 ounces of floral gin, such as Nolet’s
3/4 ounces of fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce of grenadine
1/4 ounce of allspice dram, such as St. Elizabeth
1/4 ounce of cinnamon syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 slice lemon, to garnish
Directions
1. Combine gin, juice, grenadine, dram, syrup and bitters in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. 2. Shake and strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with cracked ice; garnish with lemon. (If you’d like to serve this in a punch bowl, use your great math skills.)
Fizzy Ginger Cranberry Punch
via bettycrocker.com
Ingredients (serves 6)
Ginger Syrup
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of chopped gingerroot
Sugar for rim
2 ?tablespoons of candied ginger
2 ?tablespoons of sugar
1 ?tablespoon of grated orange peel
Punch
1 ?bottle (12 oz.) ginger beer
1 1/2 cups of cranberry juice
1 cup of soda water
1/4 cup of fresh orange juice
2 to 4 dashes of aromatic bitters
1/2 to 1 cup of gin
1/4?to 1/2 cup of Ginger Syrup
Ice
Grated orange peel or slices
Directions
Ginger syrup
1.?In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of sugar, water and chopped gingerroot over high heat to boiling. 2. Boil for 1 minute to dissolve sugar, and then remove from heat. 3. Cool completely, for about 20 minutes. 4. Strain out ginger pieces. Pour Ginger Syrup into glass jar.
Sugar for rim
1.?Place all sugar rim ingredients in a food processor. Process with on-and-off pulses until combined. 2. Spread in shallow dish.
Punch
1. In carafe or pitcher, place all punch ingredients (except ice and orange slices), adding gin and ginger syrup to taste; stir to combine. 2. To serve, dip each drinking glass rim into water or wipe with orange wedge; dip into sugar for rim to coat. 3. Fill glasses with ice; pour punch into glasses. 4. Garnish each with orange peel.
Rosemary Ginger Sparkling Punch
Recipe via onekingslane.com
Ingredients (serves 15)
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
1 two-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 bottles of dry sparkling wine (brut champagne or cava)
2 cups of ginger ale
2 cups of fresh-squeezed orange juice
Orange slices and rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Directions
1. Combine sugar, rosemary leaves, and ginger in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. 2. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. 3. Set the syrup aside to steep for at least 1 hour. 4. Strain the syrup into a punch bowl or a pitcher, and add the remaining ingredients. 5. Mix well, and garnish with orange slices and rosemary sprigs, if desired. Note: Strained syrup can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, covered, up to 1 week.
Milk Punch
via saveur.com
Ingredients (serves 6)
7 cups of whole milk ?
1 cup of half-and-half ?
1 1/2 cups of bourbon ?
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg, for topping
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a large glass pitcher, then chill in freezer for about 1 hour, or until mixture turns slushy. 2. To serve, pour into chilled julep cups, and dust with freshly grated nutmeg.
Apple Cider Bourbon Punch
via heathercristo.com
Ingredients (serves 6)
2 cored and chopped Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 3/4 cups of sparkling apple juice
1 1/2 cups of bourbon
1 1/2 cups of spiced apple cider
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice and cinnamon. Set aside. 2. In a large pitcher, mix the sparkling apple juice, bourbon and cider. 3. Fill glasses with ice and some apple chunks and pour the bourbon-cider mixture over the top and serve immediately.
Painful Punch
via epicurious.com
Ingredients (makes 3 gallons)
3 whole nutmeg pods
3 tablespoons whole allspice berries
3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
2 quarts of orange juice
2 quarts of pineapple juice
12 (750 ml) bottles of Spanish red wine
1 (750 ml) bottle of VSOP Cognac
1 (750 ml) bottle of Myers dark rum
1 to 5 cups of simple syrup to taste
10 oranges, sliced into wedges
Directions
1. Place the nutmeg pods in a cloth napkin and break them into pieces with a hammer or other blunt object. 2. Combine the nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon in a large stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, and toast the spices until aromatic, about 5 minutes. 3. Add the juices and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by one-third, about 30 minutes. 4. Remove the pot from the heat and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a container large enough to hold all of the punch. Discard the spices. 5. Add the wine, Cognac, and rum, and stir well. 6. Add the simple syrup 1 cup at a time until the tannins are tamed. 6. Add the orange slices, cover the container, and place in the refrigerator to chill. 7. To serve, transfer the mixture to a large glass punch bowl with a ladle. Serve the ice on the side.
French 77 Punch
via epicurious.com
Ingredients (serves 8)
2 cups of gin (preferably a London dry gin)
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup of simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of orange bitters
4 cups of dry Champagne (or other sparkling dry white wine, chilled)
1 large ice block or two smaller blocks
8 orange wheels, for garnish
Directions
1. In a punch bowl, combine the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters and stir until thoroughly blended. 2. Just before serving, pour in the Champagne and stir gently. 3. Add the ice and garnish with the orange wheels.