You can chill all the Champagne you want, mix martini after martini, even concoct Jell-O-based liquor delivery systems for your New Year’s Eve bash, but nothing says party like a big bowl of good old-fashioned punch. The beauty of punch is this: Punch is what you make it. Recipes are great, but the best punches happen spontaneously.
A splash of this, a splash of that, a bottle of the other … before you know it, you’re punching in the New Year in style. You don’t even need a punch bowl – a pitcher will do!Our top tip: When mixing your punch, use less alcohol than you think you’ll need, then add an extra shot or two of booze to individual glasses if you feel like it. Unless, that is, you have blow-up beds for all your soon-to-be punch-drunk guests. Bring on 2007!
Brandy Punch
Adapted from “Infused,” by Susan Elia MacNeal. Makes about 16 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vodka
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 shot Rose’s grenadine
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup superfine sugar (if you don’t have superfine sugar on hand, you can just blitz regular sugar in your food processor for 30 seconds)
- 1 quart brandy
- 1 large block ice
- 1 liter bottle club soda
- Blood orange rounds for garnish
Directions
Chill all liquid ingredients. In a large bowl, mix vodka, orange juice, grenadine and lemon juice. Stir in sugar until it dissolves completely. Add the plain brandy and chill 2-3 hours. Place ice in a punch bowl. Pour in punch and add sparkling water. Garnish with blood orange rounds.
Cosmopolitan Champagne Punch
Adapted from “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.” Makes about 20-25 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 bottles extra-dry Champagne, chilled
- 1 bottle fruity white wine, cold (try Sauvignon Blanc or Sauternes)
- 1 1/2 quarts white grape juice, cold
- 2 cups lemonade, cold
- 2 cups cranberry cocktail juice
- Cranberry ice cubes for garnish (see below)
- Lime rounds for garnish
Directions
Stir all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Garnish with cranberry ice cubes and lime rounds and serve immediately.
For cranberry ice cubes, place cranberries in mini-bundt pan moulds. Cover with hot water and freeze.
Non-alcoholic version: Substitute sparkling grape juice for Champagne and white grape or apple juice for wine.
Aloha Punch
Recipe by Tucker Shaw. Makes about 20-25 servings.
Ingredients
- 3 cups white rum
- 2 cups vodka
- 2 pints pineapple juice
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 pineapple-orange ice ring (see below)
- 1 liter bottle ginger ale
- Pineapple rings for garnish
- Sugar cane stick for garnish
Directions
Chill all ingredients in refrigerator. Stir alcohol and juices in large punch bowl. Add ice ring. Pour ginger ale over all. Serve immediately and garnish with pineapple rings and sugar cane.
For pineapple-orange ice ring, core and slice pineapple into rounds. Layer with orange rounds in the base of a bundt pan. Cover with hot water and freeze.
Non-alcoholic version: Replace rum and vodka with 2 1/2 additional cups pineapple juice and 2 1/2 cups white grape juice.
Frosty Citrus Punch
Adapted from “Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook.” Makes about 16 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
- 3 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
- 2-3 cans grapefruit soda
- 1/2 pint lime sherbet, softened
- Orange rounds for garnish
Directions
In large pitcher, mix limeade concentrate and sparkling water. Stir in soda. Pour into punch bowl. Float scoops of sherbet on top. Garnish with orange rounds and serve.
Mulled Wine
Adapted from “Kitchen of Light” by Andreas Viestad. Makes about 10 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 cardamom seeds
- 4 star anise seeds
- 2 bottles spicy red wine, such as an Australian shiraz
- A few orange rounds
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions
In medium pot, combine water, honey, 2 cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and star anise. Bring to boil. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour half the syrup into a separate bowl, being careful not to pour out any spices. Add red wine to the pot containing the spices and remaining syrup. Heat over medium-low heat until the temperature is about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and add orange rounds.
Serve warm, adding reserved syrup to taste and garnishing with cinnamon sticks.
Planter’s Punch
Adapted from “Raising the Bar” by Nick Mautone with Marah Stets. Makes about 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dark rum
- 6 ounces light rum
- 3 ounces triple sec
- 12 ounces fresh orange juice
- 12 ounces pineapple juice
- 3 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce Grenadine
- 1 teaspoon Angostura bitters
- Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
- Orange slices for garnish
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
Directions
Fill glasses with ice.
Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice and add all ingredients except garnishes. Stir briskly until pitcher is beaded with sweat and frosty.
Strain the cocktail into glasses. Grate a pinch of fresh nutmeg over the top of each drink, garnish with orange slice and cherry, and serve.
