Best Christmas Punch Recipe

Holidays call for celebration, and what better way to do so than by enjoying your favorite sips and delicacies with loved ones? While there are plenty of dishes you'll want to serve, having a flavorful Christmas punch on hand certainly seals the deal. Recipe developer and food blogger Jennine Rye of The Marshside Pantry has mixed up a delicious punch that you will love enjoying throughout this very merry time of year.

A fruity, boozy combination that reflects the festive season is exactly what you need to kick off an evening on a good note. Rye agrees, and says, "I like how fruity and moreish it is!" The best part is that you can mix this punch with minimal effort, which Rye says makes it an "easy drink to put together for a Christmas gathering or a party." It's sure to be popular, and as Rye remarks, "Everyone I taste tested it on really enjoyed it." Even better, you'll be able to whip it up right before your guests arrive, so you won't even need to find extra space in your fridge to keep it cool.

To begin, gather the ingredients you'll need for this Christmas punch. Rye confides, "[The process was] trial and error with the portions, and I definitely got tipsy doing all that taste testing." Thankfully, she figured out the best combination for maximum flavor. To keep the punch refreshing, be sure to chill the drinks ahead of time.

Rye opts for cranberry and either clementine or orange juice, and explains that she chose them because she wanted to highlight some traditional Christmas flavors. Next, to make this punch boozy, add in some spiced rum. Rye features this spirit because, as she puts it, "Adding some warming spice flavors [...] would enrich the Christmas feel." If you're not a fan of spiced rum, she says that you can swap it "with other Christmas-flavored alcohols, or Christmas classics like brandy."

Next, Rye explains, "It needed a bit of sparkle and fizz to it, plus a bit of decadence," so she includes ginger ale and Prosecco. If you can't get any Prosecco, choose your favorite sparkling wine instead — there's no need to pick the most expensive option, since you'll be combining it with a bunch of other drinks. Serve the punch with a bit of ice and some orange slices and fresh cranberries. Rye notes, "Frozen cranberries would be a perfectly fine substitute," adding that it will help prevent having a bunch of extra fresh cranberries on hand.

To mix up and serve this Christmas punch, you'll need a large punch bowl. If you don't have one for this specific purpose, then get creative. (For example, a soup pot will do the trick in a pinch!) 

Pour 1 ½ cups each of cranberry juice, and either clementine or orange juice. Then, measure out ¾ cup each of spiced rum and ginger ale, and pour them into the same vessel. Finally, pop open a bottle of Prosecco or your choice of sparkling wine, being careful to avoid a spouting mess. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the contents of the bowl to combine the fruit juice and booze.

Now that the juices, soda, and booze are mixed well, it's time to add the finishing touches to this punch. Slice an orange into thin rounds, and add the slices into the bowl for some extra citrus zest. Then, add ½ cup of fresh or frozen cranberries into the punch. Top it all off with a few handfuls of ice to keep the Christmas punch pleasantly refreshing. Give the contents of the bowl a last stir with the wooden spoon to distribute the solids throughout.

The last step once you've mixed all the ingredients together is to enjoy this deliciously fruity Christmas punch. Grab a soup ladle, and carefully serve some glasses of punch, adding in a few pieces of fruit as well. "It can really be done last-minute," Rye says, adding, "[It's] definitely at its best when freshly made," or else the bubbles will go flat.

Serve this crowd-pleasing punch on a holiday buffet or with some festive snacks. Note that Rye does say, "Although it doesn't taste strongly alcoholic, it does pack a bit of a punch, so it should really be consumed alongside food!" It shouldn't be too hard to find some tasty holiday snacks to enjoy with this Christmas punch.