This Gilmore Girls-Inspired Punch Recipe Will Transport You To Stars Hollow

If you've ever dreamed of attending one of Stars Hollow's famous town gatherings, this recreation of Miss Patty's notorious Founder's Day punch offers the perfect way to bring a piece of Gilmore Girls magic into your home. This iconic beverage, known for its deceptive strength that knocked characters off their feet with just a few sips, has achieved legendary status among fans of the show. According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, "The secret to this punch's authenticity isn't just in the ingredients, but in respecting its reputation — this is the drink that had Rory and Lane seeing stars after just one cup."

Featured at the Warner Brothers' Home For the Holidays Tour, this concoction captures both the appearance and potent character of the original. The bourbon provides the drink's signature kick, while the fruit juices and grenadine create that misguiding sweetness and orange sunset hue seen on screen. For a garnish as flamboyant as Miss Patty and as elegant as Emily Gilmore, we went with beautiful fruit-filled ice cubes that will keep your punch cold and add a visual element worthy of one of Stars Hollow's festive town celebrations.

Perfect for binge-watching parties or anytime you want to channel your inner Lorelai, this punch serves enough for you and your fellow fans to sip while debating your favorite episodes and characters. Just remember to heed Luke Danes' warnings and sip slowly: Unlike Paris' memorable encounter with this potent mixture, you'll want to remember your Gilmore Girls discussions the next morning.

This iconic Gilmore Girls punch requires a few relatively simple ingredients, with the exception of one optional, harder-to-find component. For the ice cubes, you'll need oranges and limes, bright red maraschino cherries, fresh mint leaves, and water — and distilled water will yield the clearest ice cubes. For the punch itself, you'll want juicy oranges out of which we'll extract freshly squeezed orange juice, limes for lime juice, bourbon for that famous kick, sweet pineapple juice, ruby-red grenadine for color, and Angostura bitters for complexity and depth. And don't forget the garnishes that make this drink worthy of a Stars Hollow celebration: additional orange and lime slices for the rim, fresh mint sprigs for aroma and color, and if you can find them, edible flowers that add the perfect elegant finish to this potent concoction.

Arrange orange and lime slices, cherries and mint in ice cube mold, and fill it with water.

Freeze overnight.

For the punch, halve the oranges, and juice them using a citrus press or reamer.

Strain the pulp.

Repeat with the limes.

In a punch bowl, combine the fresh juices with bourbon, pineapple juice, and grenadine.

Add the bitters, and stir gently, and then transfer to the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

Float the ice cubes in the punch bowl.

Arrange fresh garnishes around the bowl.

Miss Patty's Founder's Day punch is perfect as it is, but you can switch it up to make it just the way you like it. If you're not a fan of bourbon, spiced rum offers a warmer alternative with complementary vanilla and caramel notes, while vodka provides a cleaner base that allows the fruit flavors to dominate. For a lower-alcohol version, reduce the bourbon to one cup and add an extra half cup of pineapple juice, or use 1 to 2 teaspoons of bourbon extract for a hint of flavor with minimal alcohol content.

Creating a completely non-alcoholic version requires a few substitutions to maintain the drink's complex flavor profile. Replace the bourbon with a combination of non-alcoholic alternatives: 1 ½ cups of strong black tea combined with ½ cup of apple cider for tannins and depth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to replicate bourbon's caramel notes. For additional complexity, include a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, which adds the slight burn typically provided by alcohol. Non-alcoholic bitters are available as substitutes for Angostura, or you can use a combination of cinnamon, allspice, and clove to approximate their flavor.

You can use blood oranges in place of standard oranges for a deeper red color and a slightly different flavor profile. Pomegranate juice makes an excellent grenadine substitute with less artificial sweetness. To avoid refined sugar altogether, replace grenadine with pure pomegranate molasses or reduced cranberry juice.

A proper Gilmore Girls viewing party demands food choices as iconic as the show itself, centering around Stars Hollow's comfort food favorites. Luke's Diner-inspired offerings should headline your spread — start with a coffee station featuring oversized mugs, as Lorelai and Rory would expect nothing less. You can even start with store-bought coffee and elevate it using our tips, if you don't feel like brewing your own.

Next, create a simple burger bar with all the fixings, reminiscent of the countless meals the Gilmore women consumed at Luke's counter. As Kristi Carlson demonstrated in her successful Kickstarter-funded cookbook "Eat Like a Gilmore," authenticity matters to fans: Consider her recipes for Luke's famous pancakes or Sookie's risotto when planning your menu.

Pop-Tarts, pizza, and Chinese takeout containers represent the Gilmore home-eating experience. Arrange toaster pastries on a decorative tray (both frosted and unfrosted varieties), order several pizzas for authentic takeout vibes, and serve Asian-inspired Costco appetizers in red takeout containers. For dessert, offer a selection of Weston's Bakery-inspired treats: mini donuts, apple tarts, and anything topped with powdered sugar. Fans who made pilgrimages to pop-up versions of Luke's Diner, like the one that appeared in Detroit in 2016, know that themed details make the experience memorable.