Spiced Cranberry Punch: Holiday Magic in Every Glass
A festive holiday punch featuring warm cinnamon and cloves infused with tart cranberry and bright orange juices. The perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spicy with a refreshing fizz.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cups lemon lime soda
Garnish(Optional):
- Additional fresh cranberries
- Cinnamon sticks
- Orange slices
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Combine cranberry juice, orange juice, and fresh cranberries in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add dark brown sugar, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks to the saucepan mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally throughout.
- Strain the spiced punch through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-safe pitcher completely.
- Allow the strained punch base to cool for approximately twenty minutes at room temperature.
- Stir in chilled lemon lime soda just before serving to guests immediately.
- Ladle into individual glasses and add desired garnishes for a beautiful festive presentation.
Notes
- The punch base can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated until needed.
- Always add soda immediately before serving to maintain carbonation and delightful fizz throughout the event.
- Adjust the brown sugar amount based on your preference for sweetness and cranberry juice tartness levels.
- For a warm version, skip the soda and serve hot in mugs with cinnamon stick stirrers.
- Fresh cranberries will soften during simmering but strain them out for smoothest, most refined texture.