Christmas Punch
This festive Christmas Punch is the perfect addition to your holiday celebrations! Bursting with the vibrant flavors of orange juice, cranberry juice, and fizzy ginger ale, it’s easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. Garnish with fresh orange slices and frozen cranberries to bring cheer to any gathering!
Bright and bubbly, Christmas Punch will be the star of any celebration! I serve it any chance I get during the holidays, and it’s always a crowd favorite. The delicious taste and the beautiful presentation make it a hit with everyone. One of the best things about the recipe is its versatility—you can easily make single servings for a quieter gathering or customize each glass with a splash of vodka for those who want a spiked version. Cheers!
My other go-to holiday party drink is this vodka cranberry cocktail recipe that can also be served as a mocktail!
Made this for a holiday potluck and everyone loved it! Plus, it made a gorgeous center piece!
— Ashley
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a showstopper: Gorgeous colors and garnishes make it look so pretty for holiday brunch, potlucks and Christmas parties.
- Refreshing flavor: A delicious blend of citrus, cranberry and bubbly ginger ale is SO good!
- Customizable: Enjoy it as a mocktail or spike it for a boozy twist.
- Easy to make: This easy Christmas punch recipe can be ready to serve in under 10 minutes with simple ingredients.
- A hit with everyone! Both kids and adults will go crazy for this fun drink!
Ingredients needed
What is Christmas punch made of? This holiday punch recipe is a delightful blend of fruit juices, sparkling soda, festive garnishes and a splash of alcohol (if you’d like). It’s the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit and celebrate the season! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Ice: Keeps the punch chilled.
- Orange juice: Adds a bright, citrusy sweetness.
- Cranberry juice: Brings tartness and festive color to the punch. For the best color and flavor, I like to use Ocean Spray Pure 100% Unsweetened Cranberry Juice!
- Ginger ale: For carbonation and a sweet, gingery, slightly spicy taste.
- Vodka: For a spiked version, or omit entirely for a mocktail.
- Orange slices: Optional for garnish and a burst of extra citrus flavor.
- Frozen cranberries: A festive garnish that keeps the punch cold.
Substitutions and variations
Make this Christmas punch non alcoholic or add in your favorite liquor! Here are some different options to customize this beverage to fit your taste:
- Orange juice: Use pineapple juice or mango juice for a tropical twist.
- Cranberry juice: Swap with pomegranate juice for a deeper flavor.
- Ginger ale: Replace with any lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7-up, Fresca, sparkling water or tonic water for different levels of sweetness and fizz.
- Booze: Instead of vodka, try rum, champagne, or Prosecco for a different spiked option.
- Frozen cranberries: Use fresh cranberries or substitute with pomegranate seeds for a similar festive touch. Sugared cranberries would be a fun addition, too!
- Extra garnishes: For an extra seasonal flair, garnish with mint, rosemary sprigs, lime slices or cinnamon sticks.
How to make this recipe
This holiday punch for Thanksgiving or Christmas is so easy and tasty, it’s sure to become a tradition! Here’s how it comes together in just minutes:
Step 1: Make sure all of the ingredients are well chilled. Fill a large punch bowl or drink dispenser with ice cubes. Gently pour in and mix together the orange juice, cranberry juice, ginger ale and alcohol, if using.
Step 2: Add the garnishes, if using. Alternatively, you can choose to add garnishes to individual glasses.
Step 3: Use a large spoon to give everything a good stir. It’s a good idea to set your drink dispenser on a cake stand, if it doesn’t come with a stand.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Tools for serving
Here is a list of my favorite things for serving this and other beverages:
- For serving: This is my favorite glass punch bowl and ladle that looks really nice. Here is plastic punch bowl that is a bit cheaper and comes with the ladle and 20 small glasses. Alternatively, you can use a large pitcher or drink dispenser for serving. On Amazon, there are many drink dispenser options that come with two. This would be great, if you want to fill one with non alcoholic Christmas punch and one with alcohol.
- Straws: The kids will love it if you have some fun paper straws for sipping! It may be necessary to cut the straws, depending on the size of the glass.
- Glasses: I love these glitter disposable punch glasses or these punch glasses that have a gold rim!
Helpful tips
These tips will ensure your Christmas punch is as delicious and festive as it looks!
- Serving size: This recipe makes a big batch, approximately 24 cups, which is enough for a large pitcher or punch bowl or other large drink dispenser with a spigot.
- Chill ingredients: Refrigerate all the juices and ginger ale ahead of time to keep the punch cold without relying too much on ice.
- Add ice last: If you’re preparing this ahead of time, add the ice right before serving to prevent it from watering down the flavors.
- Taste and adjust: If spiking the punch, start with a smaller amount of vodka and adjust to taste.
- Non-alcoholic option: Keep the vodka on the side so guests can add it to their glass if desired, making the punch more versatile.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can get a head start on this drink! Mix the juices in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Add the ginger ale, ice and garnishes just before serving to maintain fizz and freshness.
In one glass, combine ice, 2 ounces cranberry juice, 2 ounces fresh orange juice, 2 ounces cold sparkling apple cider, 2 to 4 ounces ginger ale, sprite, 7 up or Fresca and 1 ounce vodka, if making alcoholic. Feel free to experiment with the measurements to make this taste exactly how you like.
If you’ll be spiking this punch with vodka, a good quality brand of vodka is highly recommended. I like Prairie Organic Vodka, Smirnoff or Titos.
For large parties, a common guideline is to serve 1 gallon (16 cups) per 10 guests. This recipe makes 24 cups, so for 10 people, this recipe would be plenty. For 20 guests or more, I would double the recipe. For smaller gatherings, I typically plan on about 1.5 cups per person. You can make this recipe as written or half all of the ingredients to make 12 cups.
More Christmas recipes
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Christmas Punch
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1/2 gallon (8 cups) orange juice
- 3 quarts (12 cups) cranberry juice, use Ocean Spray Pure 100% Unsweetened Cranberry Juice for the best color and flavor
- 1 liter or 3 cans (approximately 4 1/2 cups) ginger ale, (can sub with sprite, 7 up or Fresca, if preferred)
- To spike: add approximately 2 cups of vodka, (start with less, taste and add more, as desired)
- For garnish: 2 oranges, sliced and approximately 1 cup frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Make sure all of the ingredients are well chilled. Fill a large punch bowl or drink dispenser with ice.
- Gently add in and mix together the orange juice, cranberry juice and ginger ale.
- Garnish with orange slices and frozen cranberries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
• Ice
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 2 ounces fresh orange juice
• 2 ounces cold sparkling apple cider
• 2 to 4 ounces ginger ale, sprite, 7 up or Fresca
• 1 ounce vodka, optional to make alcoholic
Did you make this recipe?
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Hi, this looks delicious! Is apple juice an ingredient? It’s not in the recipe or description, but is mentioned in the FAQs and individual serving instructions. Thank you!
Hi Pinny, I only add in the sparkling apple cider if I’m making a single serving but it’s not required and I never add it when making a full large batch. Hope you get a chance to give it a try!
Made this for a holiday potluck and everyone loved it! Plus, it made a gorgeous center piece!