Christmas Punch Mocktail
Hosting a holiday party just became a breeze with this easy Christmas Mocktail! Packed with the rich flavors of cranberry, plums, apple, and a hint of ginger, this holiday punch is perfect for kids and adults, and is my go-to drink for holiday punch for December!
Let’s say you’re hosting an epic Christmas party, but you want an option without alcohol. That’s usually what happens in our house, as we’re not big drinkers, which is why we love Thanksgiving Punch so much! Enter this easy fruit punch made with the essence of Christmas flavor with no alcohol!
It’s a perfect blend of tart cranberry, sweet plums, crisp apple, and a touch of ginger. You can keep it as a refreshing mocktail for the kids or add a little something extra to make it a cocktail for the adults. It’s made with simple, real ingredients that you can find pretty much anywhere, so it’s super easy to throw together even when you’re in the holiday hustle!
🎄Grab These Before You Make It
- Punch Bowl Set or 2 Gallon Drink Jar
- Disposable Party Punch Cups
- Festive Ice Molds
- Citrus Juicer
- Holiday Stir Sticks
🍊 Holiday Mocktail Punch Ingredients
- Cranberry Juice – This is the star of your holiday mocktail punch, providing a rich, deep red color that’s perfect for Christmas. It strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart, setting the stage for a refreshing and festive drink.
- Ginger Ale – Adds a fizz to your punch, giving it that bubbly, celebratory feel. The subtle warmth from the ginger enhances the holiday flavors, while the effervescence keeps the punch light and refreshing.
- Sliced Oranges & Plums – Oranges bring a bright, citrusy note that complements the cranberry juice perfectly. Plums add a sweet, juicy element that feels like a taste of winter in every sip.
- Ground Cinnamon – Just a pinch infuses your punch with that cozy, warming aroma we all love during the winter months.
- Rosemary Sprigs – These sprigs have double duty as both a garnish and a flavor enhancer. Their piney, aromatic scent instantly brings to mind a Christmas tree, adding a subtle yet impactful herbal note to your punch.
- Granulated Sugar – Rimming your glasses with granulated sugar gives your punch presentation a frosty, snow-kissed look that’s just perfect for the holidays.
🥤How To Make Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch
This festive virgin Christmas punch comes together in just a few easy steps:
1️⃣ Prepare the fruit: Slice the oranges and plums into slices saving some for garnish and some for adding to the punch.
2️⃣ Mix the Christmas beverage: In a large gallon container, add cranberry juice or pomegranate juice with 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and whisk until the cinnamon is fully combined.
3️⃣ Stir in the ginger ale: To the cranberry and cinnamon juice, pour in the ginger ale and stir gently to combine. This step should be completed right before serving to ensure the fizz stays in the drink.
4️⃣ Add the fruit: Add the sliced fruit to the punch, give it a quick stir.
5️⃣ Garnish the punch: Rim your glass with sugar, pour in the Christmas Punch and add a sprig of rosemary for garnish and color. Garnish with any extra orange or plum slices.
🍹Christmas Punch With Alcohol
Need a Christmas Punch with a bit of booze? There are two ways to turn this drink into an alcoholic Christmas Punch.
- With Champagne: Cut the amount of ginger ale in half and replace with one bottle of dry champagne or prosecco
- With Whisky or Vodka: Add about 6 shots of your favorite whisky to the punch and stir to combine. For an extra sweet treat, use honey whisky.
Leave the champagne and whisky chilled on the table so your guests can add as much alcohol as they like and then fill the rest with Christmas Punch.
🍍Mocktail Christmas Flavor Variations
- Pomegranate Christmas Punch: Swap out cranberry juice for pomegranate juice to introduce a deep, rich flavor and a boost of antioxidants, adding an exotic twist to your Christmas mocktail.
- Pineapple Twist: For a tropical flair, mix in pineapple juice, which will add a sweet, tangy profile, contrasting nicely with the ginger ale’s spice.
- With Sprite: Replace ginger ale with Sprite to make this Christmas punch, adding a lemon-lime zing that brightens the drink and pairs wonderfully with the citrus notes from the orange slices. You can also use 7UP, Starry, or Sierra Mist.
- With Apple Cider: Use apple cider in place of cranberry juice for a cozy, spiced variant. For even more effervescence, use sparkling apple cider.
- Vanilla Cranberry: Infuse your punch with a splash of vanilla extract to create a smooth, comforting undertone that complements the tartness of the cranberry juice.
- Berry Merry: Mix in a blend of mixed berry juice (such as blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry) to create a punch that’s rich in flavor and antioxidants.
- Spiced Pear Punch: Replace the cranberry juice with pear juice and add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg for a sweet, warming punch that feels like a cozy winter hug.
- Cranberry-Orange Sparkler: Combine cranberry juice with freshly squeezed orange juice for a classic flavor that’s both tart and sweet. Top with club soda or sparkling water for a light, fizzy finish.
❔FAQ
To maintain the fizz in your punch, add the ginger ale or Sprite just before guests arrive and consider serving it over a large ice block instead of individual cubes to slow down dilution. If you need to refresh the carbonation during the event, have an extra bottle of soda on hand to top up the punch bowl as needed.
If you prefer a non-alcoholic alternative to ginger ale, you can use lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7UP, which adds a bright citrus flavor. For a milder option, club soda or sparkling water works well and keeps the punch light and bubbly without adding extra sweetness. If you want a bit more flavor, try using a flavored sparkling water, such as those with a hint of lime or berry.
To keep your punch cold without diluting it, use frozen fruits like cranberries, orange slices, or grapes as ice cubes. You can also make ice cubes from some of the punch itself—simply freeze a portion in an ice cube tray, and add them to the punch before serving.
🍸More Easy Holiday Drink Recipes
Festive Christmas Punch (mocktail or cocktail)
Equipment
- 1 Punch Bowl or pitcher
Ingredients
- 16 oz Cranberry Juice
- 67 oz Ginger Ale (or ginger beer) 2 liters
- 2 Orange sliced
- 2 Plums sliced
- ½ cup Cranberries fresh or frozen
- ⅛ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 10 Rosemary Sprigs for garnish
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit: Slice the oranges and plums into slices saving some for garnish and some for adding to the punch.
- Mix the Christmas beverage: In a large gallon container, add cranberry juice or pomegranate juice with 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and whisk until the cinnamon is fully combined.
- Stir in the ginger ale: To the cranberry and cinnamon juice, pour in the ginger ale and stir gently to combine. This step should be completed right before serving to ensure the fizz stays in the drink.
- Add the fruit: Add the sliced fruit to the punch, give it a quick stir.
- Garnish the punch: Rim your glass with sugar, pour in the Christmas Punch and add a sprig of rosemary for garnish and color. Garnish with any extra orange or plum slices.
Notes
🍍Customize It
- Pomegranate Christmas Punch: Swap out cranberry juice for pomegranate juice to introduce a deep, rich flavor and a boost of antioxidants, adding an exotic twist to your Christmas mocktail.
- Pineapple Twist: For a tropical flair, mix in pineapple juice, which will add a sweet, tangy profile, contrasting nicely with the ginger ale’s spice.
- With Sprite: Replace ginger ale with Sprite to make this Christmas punch, adding a lemon-lime zing that brightens the drink and pairs wonderfully with the citrus notes from the orange slices. You can also use 7UP, Starry, or Sierra Mist.
- With Apple Cider: Use apple cider in place of cranberry juice for a cozy, spiced variant. For even more effervescence, use sparkling apple cider.
- Vanilla Cranberry: Infuse your punch with a splash of vanilla extract to create a smooth, comforting undertone that complements the tartness of the cranberry juice.
- Berry Merry: Mix in a blend of mixed berry juice (such as blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry) to create a punch that’s rich in flavor and antioxidants.
- Spiced Pear Punch: Replace the cranberry juice with pear juice and add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg for a sweet, warming punch that feels like a cozy winter hug.
- Cranberry-Orange Sparkler: Combine cranberry juice with freshly squeezed orange juice for a classic flavor that’s both tart and sweet. Top with club soda or sparkling water for a light, fizzy finish.
I love this recipe so much! Can’t wait to make it for Christmas!
I made this on Christmas and it was a hit! Everyone loved it! I couldn’t find decent plums anywhere so I just used apples and it worked out great. Wish I took a picture cause it was so pretty! 10/10 would recommend!!
Thank you so much!