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Sparkling Cranberry Punch Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Sparkling Cranberry Punch Recipe

Every year when the holidays roll around, I find myself reaching for this sparkling cranberry punch recipe before anything else. I first made it for a small family get-together, and it disappeared so fast that I've been asked to bring it to every gathering since.
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Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups cranberry juice chilled – the tart, ruby-red base of the whole punch
  • 2 cups orange juice chilled – adds natural sweetness and balances the tartness
  • 1 can 12 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawed – deepens the color and flavor without watering it down
  • 4 cups lemon-lime soda or ginger ale chilled – brings the fizz, so add it last
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries – a simple garnish that doubles as edible "ice cubes"
  • 1 orange thinly sliced – floats beautifully and adds a citrusy aroma
  • 1 cup club soda optional – use this instead of extra soda if you want less sugar
  • Ice ring or ice cubes as needed – keeps the punch cold without diluting it too fast

Method
 

  1. I always make sure every single ingredient is cold before I start mixing. Warm juice mixed with soda loses its fizz almost instantly, which flattens the whole punch. Popping the cans and bottles in the fridge a few hours ahead saves you from watering everything down with extra ice later.
  2. In a large pitcher, I stir together the cranberry juice, orange juice, and the thawed cranberry juice concentrate. I give it a good whisk so the concentrate fully dissolves instead of sitting in clumps at the bottom. This juice blend is the flavor backbone, so I always taste it here before adding the fizzy part.
  3. Once the juice mixture is well combined, I pour it straight into my punch bowl over the ice ring. I like resting the ice ring gently against the side so it doesn't splash juice everywhere. This step is where the punch starts looking genuinely festive.
  4. Right before serving, I slowly pour in the chilled lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. Pouring it down the side of the bowl, rather than straight down the middle, keeps it from fizzing over. I stir just once or twice, gently, so I don't knock out all the bubbles.
  5. Finally, I float the fresh cranberries and orange slices right on top for that holiday-worthy look. A few sprigs of rosemary tucked in make it look even more special for a dinner party. I serve it immediately while it's still bubbly and ice-cold.

Notes

  • I always use an ice ring instead of loose cubes because it melts much slower and keeps the punch from turning watery.
  • I've learned to add the soda last, right before guests arrive, so it stays as fizzy as possible.
  • When I want a prettier color, I freeze a few fresh cranberries inside the ice ring itself.
  • I taste the juice blend before adding soda, since cranberry juice brands vary a lot in tartness.
  • If I'm serving a crowd for hours, I keep extra chilled soda on the side to top off the bowl as it empties.