Punch has come a long way from the ladies’ teas and high school proms, where a bowl of punch and a row of dainty glasses were a must. A glass of sparkling punch - spiked or non-alcoholic - is still a great addition to any party menu. And today’s punch has no limits: Add your favorite liqueur, toss in some frozen fruit, and serve it with a candy straw, and you’ve got an up-to-the minute party drink.
Punch recipes are easy, quick to put together, and versatile. Don’t have pineapple juice? Substitute orange juice or another fruit juice. Looking for something pink? Turn the color of any punch recipe pink by adding maraschino cherry juice. Substitute champagne for ginger ale or lemon-lime soda in a punch recipe and you've got a cocktail punch for adults.
Punch is a refreshing drink for spring brunches and any summer party. And it’s a delicious way to sneak a serving of fruit into your party menu.
Today’s Versatile Punch
A traditional punchbowl, ladle and tiny glass cups are still beautiful for semi-formal occasions. But you can serve punch in a number of more up-to-date ways for more casual entertaining. Mix up a punch recipe in a glass pitcher and serve it in wine glasses, champagne flutes, margarita glasses or on-the-rocks glasses.
The tried-and-true ring of fruit-filled ice can be substituted with fruity ice cubes. Simply fill ice cube trays with fruit juice or water and place a blueberry, raspberry, orange wedge, or strawberry in each.
When serving sherbet in punch, make sherbet balls with a melon ball scoop, and freeze on a cooking sheet until completely frozen. Drop them in the punch right before serving.
Unique Ways to Serve Punch
- Jazz up your punch by rimming each glass with sugar. Just like salt on a margarita glass, first rub the rim of the glass with a cut lemon or lime, and press the glass rim into a shallow bowl of super-fine sugar (sometimes marketed as “bar sugar.”)
- Add some edible flowers to a fruit-filled ice ring or freeze edible flowers in individual ice cubes and float them in a bowl or pitcher of punch. If serving punch in a punchbowl, float a few fresh nasturtiums or other edible flowers as a garnish.
- Hollow out a watermelon and fill it with watermelon punch for a signature Southern U.S. way to serve punch. See recipe for Watermelon Punch below.
- Mix punch ingredients in a glass beverage dispenser, and add some lemon wedges, strawberries and other fruit, for an easy punch presentation for a party.
Help!-I-Need-Punch-Fast Recipe
- 1 large (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
- 2-3 cups orange juice
- 2 liters ginger ale
- 2 quarts lime sherbet (optional)
Mix all ingredients together. For a lighter, sparklier punch, reduce the amount of juice or increase the amount of ginger ale.
Watermelon Punch
- 1 large watermelon
- 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 quart Squirt or other lemon-lime soda
Cut the top off of a watermelon, lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the watermelon to form a bowl. (To get the watermelon “bowl” to sit securely, you may have to shave off the bottom slightly with a sharp knife, forming a flat bottom.) Remove seeds from the watermelon pieces that you’ve scooped out and place about 8 cups of the watermelon pieces on a large, shallow pan. Place in the freezer for about 6 hours, or until partially frozen. Using a blender or food processor, puree the partially frozen watermelon. Mix watermelon puree with orange juice, lime juice and lemon-lime soda. Serve in the watermelon bowl. Garnish with mint leaves and lime slices.
Banana Fruit Punch
- 2 quarts water
- 4 cups sugar
- 6 mashed bananas
- 46 ounces pineapple juice
- 12 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
- 12 ounces frozen lemonade juice concentrate
- 2 2-liter bottles of ginger ale
Bring water and sugar to boil. Let sugar dissolve. Cool. Add mashed bananas, pineapple juice and orange juice and lemonade concentrates. Freeze. When ready to use, break the “slush” into pieces. Add ginger ale, mix gently and serve.
Champagne Punch
- 1 pint cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 bottle (4/5 quart) dry sauterne
- 2 bottles champagne
Combine juices and sugar; refrigerate. Before serving, stir to dissolve sugar. Add sauterne, mixing thoroughly. Pour into punch bowl containing ice cubes or ice mold. Add champagne and stir gently.
Lemon Punch
- ½ gallon lemon sherbet
- 24 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
- 2 28-ounce bottles ginger ale, chilled
- 1 bottle club soda, chilled
Mash sherbet and lemonade in bottom of a punch bowl until mushy. Add ginger ale and soda. Mix well.
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