Holiday Punch (Christmas Punch Recipe)

This holiday punch recipe is the perfect cocktail to share at your next holiday party. It has the perfect balance of sweet orange juice, tart cranberry juice, vodka, and refreshing zest from the sparkling apple cider and ginger ale. When combined, this delicious holiday punch recipe makes for a refreshing beverage that is unbeatable. The best part is that you can make this Christmas punch in just 1 minute!

Why You'll Love This Holiday Punch Recipe

When it comes to holiday parties, the party is only as fun as the drinks that are served. And this holiday punch is the perfect alcoholic drink to serve that will get everyone in the holiday spirit!

This holiday punch, in particular, has the perfect balance of flavors. The combination of fresh orange juice and cranberry juice makes for a refreshingly sweet and tart flavor. Then, when you add in sparkling apple cider, ginger ale, and vodka, you get a zesty cocktail with the perfect amount of alcohol.

Oh, and the floating orange slices and fresh cranberries make for a perfect presentation too!

What's even better about this Christmas punch recipe is that it takes minutes to make, and you'll end up with enough punch for the entire party! Even if it disappears quickly - which it definitely will - you can make another round in no time at all.

By the way, if you're in need of another cocktail - to balance out the refreshing fruitiness of this one - I highly recommend definitely checking out either this chocolate mudslide recipe or this espresso martini recipe. Both are quick and easy to make and will offer your guests plenty of options.

Ingredients For Holiday Punch

As I mentioned before, this Christmas punch recipe is a breeze to make, and it only requires a few simple ingredients. In fact, if you have a bar, then you probably have everything you need at home already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make this holiday punch recipe:

• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 1 ½ cup orange juice
• 1 bottle sparkling apple cider
• 1 can ginger ale
• 1 cup Vodka
• 1 cup orange slices
• ½ cup frozen cranberries to serve

Pretty simple stuff, right?

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

Now, I always make this Christmas punch with the ingredients listed above, but you can certainly leave out any ingredient that you don't like. And you can also make a few substitutions if you'd like too.

When it comes to the bubbly ginger ale, I really like the zesty kick, but you can also use lemon lime soda if that's all you have on hand.

Also, I love using sparkling apple cider to give the holiday punch a crisp flavor. But, you can really use any sparkling juice that you want, like sparkling grape juice. Also, if you want to increase the alcohol content, you can use some champagne instead.

Speaking of alcohol, I really love using vodka in this recipe. But, if you are running low on vodka - and you don't feel like running to the store - then you can use some dark rum or white rum in its place, or even tequila. I've actually used tequila several times in place of vodka when I've made this punch recipe and it's turned out amazing every single time.

Oh, one more thing, if you want to make this holiday punch a little less boozy, you can reduce the amount of vodka in place of fresh fruit juices. I recommend going with pineapple juice or lemonade, especially if I'm making a mocktail version of this holiday punch for the little ones.

How To Make Holiday Punch

Honestly, the best part about this holiday punch is how fast it is to make. You literally just add the ingredients to your punch bowl, give it a good stir, and serve. It's really that simple!

Anyway, let's not waste any more time and get mixing!

Step 1: Combine The Ingredients

First things first, grab your favorite punch bowl, visually appealing large bowl, or large pitcher.

Then, you can add all of your liquid ingredients - the orange juice, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, sparkling apple juice, ginger ale, and vodka to it.

Now give this a good stir with your ladle - or whatever you're using to serve the punch - to combine everything together. Finally, to finish it off, add the orange slices and cranberries on top.

Step 2: Serve The Punch 

Next, set serving glasses around the punch bowl along with an ice bucket and serve immediately. Oh, and if you're making this holiday punch ahead of time, you can just chill it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.

By the way, this recipe for holiday punch will make enough for twelve glasses worth, so if you think you'll need more, just double, triple, or quadruple the number of ingredients.

Enjoy!

Expert Tips To Make The Best Christmas Punch

• Chill Ingredients in Advance: To keep your punch refreshing without overloading it with ice (and diluting the flavor), refrigerate all your ingredients—juices, soda, and alcohol—before mixing. This way, the punch starts off cold and stays that way longer.
• Make an Ice Ring: Freeze fruit slices, cranberries, or sprigs of rosemary in a bundt pan filled with water or juice to create a stunning ice ring. Not only will it keep your punch cold, but it also adds a festive and elegant touch to the presentation.
• Balance the Sweetness: If you find your punch is too sweet, add a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice, lime juice, or even sparkling water to mellow it out. Taste as you go to achieve the perfect balance.
• Offer a Non-Alcoholic Option: If you're serving guests who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, keep the alcohol on the side and let everyone customize their glass. Or, make a separate alcohol-free batch so everyone can enjoy it. I always make one with alcohol and one without; my nieces love the non-alcoholic holiday punch!
• Garnish Like a Pro: Don’t skimp on the garnishes! Sliced oranges, lemons, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, and sprigs of fresh herbs like mint or rosemary not only elevate the punch’s flavor but also make it visually stunning.
• Use a Punch Ladle: a good punch ladle ensures every glass gets a mix of liquid and garnishes. Plus, it minimizes mess and keeps your punch station tidy.
• Experiment with Flavors: Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your tastes or your guests' preferences. Try swapping ginger ale for sparkling apple cider, or add a hint of warmth with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

My Final Thoughts On This Recipe

Well, that's how to make holiday punch!

This easy Christmas punch recipe is made with such simple ingredients, and yet the results are outstanding. I don't know if it's the balance of flavors, the perfect amount of booze, or the appearance of the giant punch bowl taking center stage, but regardless, this is a must-try holiday drink.

It'll really make your next Christmas celebration that much better and I hope you like it as much as I/we do.

Anyway, as always, if you give this recipe a try, then be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it went.

Merry Christmas!

More Holiday Recipes

If you're looking for some sweet treats to make to serve along with the punch, we have a ton on the blog that you have to check out next! 

Here are some more easy holiday recipes:

• Christmas crack
• Fantasy fudge
• No bake Christmas cookies
• Peppermint brownies
• Christmas desserts

Also, for more tasty recipes - just like this holiday punch - don't forget to follow us along on  Tiktok, YouTube, and Instagram. We post new ones on them every single day!

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