Description
This Spiced Pomegranate Punch is a festive and easy cocktail for a crowd! Perfect for parties or holiday meals. Lambrusco wine, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, maple syrup, and warm spices make up the flavors here, and it is downright delicious! As tasty as it is pretty. Bonus: it’s easy to prep ahead and throw together just before serving. Exactly what we need from our cocktails during this busy season!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Ice Cubes:
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- Orange slices
- Halved cranberries
For the Punch:
- 3 cups pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup orange liqueur
- 1 (750-mL) bottle Lambrusco wine
- 1 1/2 cups sparkling water or club soda
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
- Ice, for serving
Instructions
For the Ice Cubes:
- Pour the pomegranate juice into ice cube trays and drop a small orange slice and a few halved cranberries into each one. Freeze until solid (I do this the day before serving).
- This is optional but makes the punch extra pretty and festive without watering it down at all. You can also just use regular ice here, OR just freeze plain pomegranate juice into cubes.
For the Punch:
- It is best if all the ingredients are chilled ahead of mixing.
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the pomegranate juice, maple syrup, and orange liqueur, whisking well to mix.
- Stir in the wine and sparkling water, along with the fruit. Last, add in the pomegranate ice cubes so everything chills down (alternatively, you can add regular ice here).
- Pour into glasses and garnish with some of the fruit.
Notes
- This can be prepped ahead. Mix everything together except the sparkling water, fruit, and spices. Keep chilled until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, add in the seltzer, fruit, and spices. Give it a mix just before enjoying. If prepping ahead, it can sit in the fridge for a couple days.
- Lambrusco wine is an inexpensive, slightly effervescent red wine that is a nice blend of slightly sweet and dry. It works really well with the flavors here. If you can’t find it, a semi-dry sparkling wine will work – the flavor of the punch will be slightly different. If you can find Lambrusco, definitely opt for that!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: None
- Category: cocktails