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Thanksgiving Punch

Thanksgiving punch with a bright cranberry-cider base and sparkling ginger ale. Make it as a punch bowl drink with citrus slices, fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and ice for a festive ruby look.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry juice cocktail
  • 4 cup cranberry juice cocktail Chilled
Apple cider
  • 2 cup apple cider Chilled
Orange juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
Fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lime juice Freshly squeezed
Ginger ale or sparkling water
  • 1 L ginger ale Use chilled; or swap with sparkling water
Orange
  • 1 orange Thinly sliced
Fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
Fresh rosemary
  • 4 fresh rosemary Sprigs
Ice
  • 1 ice

Equipment

  • 1 punch bowl

Method
 

Mix the base
  1. Combine cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, orange juice, and lime juice in a punch bowl. Stir until evenly blended, then set aside.
Chill
  1. Chill the punch until ready to serve. Keep it cold so the citrus flavors stay crisp.
Add floating garnishes
  1. Add orange slices, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprigs to the chilled punch. The mix should look deep ruby with visible fruit and herb sprigs.
Top with bubbles and serve
  1. Pour in ginger ale just before serving to keep it fizzy. Add ice, then ladle into glasses so each serving includes fruit and rosemary.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the orange thin so the peels float attractively and release aroma as guests pour. Storage: keep the mixed base (without ginger ale and ice) covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours; add ginger ale and fresh ice right before serving. Freezer: no, freezing can dull the flavors and make garnishes soft. Dietary swap: for a lower-sugar option, use sparkling water instead of ginger ale (or choose a no-sugar-added sparkling ginger beverage) while keeping the cranberry-cider base chilled.