6 festive Christmas punch recipes for a very merry crowd

Festive Christmas Punch Recipes to Serve a Crowd

There are a few reasons a good Christmas punch makes the perfect holiday party beverage: It looks and tastes festive. It serves lots of people. The same recipe can work for adults and kids if you put the liquor on the side and let people spike their own drinks. And is easy to keep refilled—which means you can focus on your guests, not the bar.

With all those reasons in mind, we rounded up our six favorite Christmas punch recipes for you right here. Whether you want fruity, creamy, boozy or sparkling, there’s something for everyone’s taste!

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First, a few tips to make preparing and serving your Christmas punch even easier:

 

•  Set out your crystal punch bowl, decorative pitcher, trendy drink dispenser, or slow cooker (for hot beverages) when you decorate. You can keep batches of pre-made punch in the fridge to put out at party time.

 

•  Doubling or tripling the recipe means you can provide quick refills as the night goes on.

 

•  To keep ice from watering down your drinks, make the punch the day before and freeze some of it in seasonal ice cube trays or a pretty Bundt pan.

 

•  Not sure whether everyone at the party wants to imbibe? Serve a selection of liquors on the side and let guests add their own.

Hot Wassail Punch

Hot wassail punch

 

Ingredients

•  3 cups pineapple juice
•  4 cups cranberry juice
•  2 cups apple cider
•  1 cup water
•  ½ cup brown sugar
•  6 cinnamon sticks (plus more for garnish, if desired)
•  Whiskey, bourbon or rum (optional)

 

Directions

Poke whole cloves into the orange—you can make a pattern, or put them in at random. If needed, make a hole with a toothpick first. Core the apple and cut it into thin slices. Add all other ingredients to a slow cooker or large pot and stir to mix, then add clove-studded orange and apple slices.

Heat to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer for at least 4 hours. Strain before ladling into mugs. Add spirits and garnish with cinnamon sticks or orange slices, if desired.

Eggnog Punch

Creamy eggnog punch

 

Ingredients

•  1 quart melted vanilla ice cream, melted
•  1 quart eggnog, chilled
•  1 quart soda, chilled (ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or cream soda)
•  Liquor, as desired (bourbon, whiskey, rum, amaretto, coffee liqueur)
•  Whipped cream and nutmeg, for garnish

 

Directions

Combine the ice cream, eggnog and soda. Adjust proportions to taste. Stir and keep chilled until serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg.

Fruit Party Punch

Festive fruit punch

 

Ingredients

•  2 liter bottle of fruit punch or cranberry juice, chilled
•  2 liter bottle of lemon-lime soda, chilled
•  1 46 fl. oz. can of pineapple juice, chilled
•  1 carton raspberry sherbet, optional
•  1 cored, sliced apple, fresh cranberries and raspberries for garnish
•  Sugar to rim glasses, optional

 

Directions

Mix fruit punch, lemon-lime soda, and pineapple juice in a large bowl or pitcher. To keep cool without diluting, freeze some mixed punch in ice cube trays or a bundt pan. Before serving, add frozen punch cubes and ice cream and/or garnishes as desired. To rim glasses, pour sugar on a plate; dip rim of glass in water or punch, then in sugar.

Holiday Punch Recipe

Holiday wine punch

 

Ingredients

•  2 bottles red wine like Shiraz or zinfandel (something spicy)
•  2 cups pomegranate juice
•  2 cups pineapple juice
•  1 cup orange juice
•  1 orange, thinly sliced
•  1 cup pomegranate seeds
•  1 cup raw almonds
•  3 cinnamon sticks
•  1 tsp. cloves

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a medium simmer for 1 hour before serving. Ladle into mugs and serve with nuts and fruit.

Hot rum punch

 

Ingredients

•  2 pineapple rings for serving (optional)
•  16 oz. R.W. Knudsen pineapple coconut juice
•  4 oz. pineapple juice
•  3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
•  Juice from 1 lemon
•  1/4 tsp. cinnamon
•  1/8 tsp. ground ginger
•  6 oz. good, dark rum (if it’s cheap, that’s all you’ll taste)

 

Directions

If using pineapple rings, grill in a grill pan until pineapple rings are marked or sear in a sauté pan until a little toasted. This will give a warm caramel taste to the pineapple. Cut each ring in half. Combine all ingredients except for rum and pineapple rings in a large pot. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. Divide rum between mugs and top with hot pineapple juice. Serve with pineapple rings.

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch Recipe

Sparkling pomegranate punch

 

Ingredients

•  3 qt. water
•  18 tea bags (we used Red Zinger for color and flavor)
•  12 cups pomegranate juice
•  3 cups pineapple juice
•  3 bottles (750 ml) chilled Prosecco

 

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add tea bags and steep 7 minutes, then remove tea bags and allow to cool slightly before adding pomegranate juice and pineapple juice. Refrigerate until well chilled. Ladle into glasses and top off with Prosecco.

 

Want more holiday party ideas? You could say we have a few: