Easy Crowd-Pleasing Thanksgiving Punch (Spiked or Mocktail)
Make this simple, festive Thanksgiving Punch for your holiday gathering. It uses classic fall flavors and offers easy options for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic servings.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups apple cider
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 1 liter ginger ale or ginger beer (chilled)
- 1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
- 1/2 cup bourbon or spiced rum (optional, for spiked version)
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- Ice ring or cubes
Instructions
- In a large punch bowl, combine the apple cider, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Stir well to mix the base liquids.
- If making the spiked version, stir in the bourbon or spiced rum now.
- Chill the punch base in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve. This helps the flavors combine.
- Just before serving, gently pour in the chilled ginger ale or ginger beer. Stir slowly to keep the carbonation.
- Add the orange slices and cranberries to the punch bowl for garnish.
- Place a large ice ring or ice cubes into the bowl to keep the punch cold without diluting it too quickly.
- Serve immediately in glasses filled with ice.
Notes
- For a beautiful presentation, freeze some cranberries and orange slices in water in a bundt pan to create a decorative ice ring.
- If you prefer a less sweet punch, substitute half of the ginger ale with sparkling water.
- You can prepare the juice base (cider, cranberry, orange) one day ahead of time. Add the carbonated mixer just before guests arrive.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 15mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg