Christmas Punch
Drinks for one, and you have a nice evening to yourself. Drinks for two or three, and it’s happy hour. A WHOLE BOWL of sparkling Christmas Punch? We have ourselves a party!
Bubbly, festive, and a total snap to stir together, this easy Christmas punch is light, refreshing, and not at all overly sweet. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and would be a lovely, useful centerpiece at any holiday party because:
- It’s simple but beautiful, with the right amount of holiday sparkle,
- Guests will love it (and love you for making it!), and
- Crowd control. Think of this punch as your party’s water cooler. Guests will flock wherever it’s placed.
I usually shy away from big batch punch recipes because they tend to be overly sweet. Not this Christmas punch!
If you’re planning a holiday gathering and want to know “what do you drink on Christmas Eve?” or “what do you drink for Christmas dinner?” Christmas punch is the answer.
Together, this combination of the light and bright with the deep and spicy makes this Christmas punch dangerous. It’s soooo yummy and easy to sip. Because it takes minutes to make, you can quickly (perhaps too quickly) continue refilling the bowl as the night goes on.
How to Make the Best Christmas Punch
Cranberry juice, sparkling wine, and orange slices keep the punch’s flavor light, bright, and dangerously easy to drink.
The Ingredients
- Cranberry Juice. Make sure you use a juice that is labeled 100% cranberry juice, versus cranberry juice cocktail. The juice should be marked 100% cranberry but still contain has a blend of other juices for some natural sweetness (confusing I know!). This is the one I used.
- Do not use completely unsweetened, 100% pure cranberry juice or your punch will be too tart. If you purchase the wrong kind by mistake or your punch tastes tarter than you would like for any reason, all is not lost! Sweeten the punch to your liking by stirring in 1/4 to 1/2 cup simple syrup.
- Sparkling Wine. Use a very dry sparkling wine. It doesn’t matter what the wine’s country of origin is, as long as it is labeled “brut,” which is the driest, dryer even than wine labeled “extra dry” (Tip: think “brutally dry”). Champagne, cava, and Prosecco are all fair game.
- Apple Cider + Ginger Ale. Adds balance and dynamic flavor.
- Dark Rum or Brandy. Rich, spicy, and fun. I preferred this as a Christmas rum punch, but if you’d like something a little sweeter, brandy is a good option.
- Oranges. For a hint of citrus and beautiful color.
- Cranberries. Fresh cranberries are important here. I love the look of fresh cranberries floating on top too.
- And, lots of ice!
The Directions
- Chill all the ingredients to make sure your punch is nice and chilly.
- Fill a large punch bowl with ice, and top with all the ingredients except the oranges and cranberries. Stir to combine. Last, top with the oranges and cranberries to beautify it. ENJOY!
Recipe Adaptations
- Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch. Omit the alcohol from this recipe, and use sparkling white grape juice instead of wine. Prepare as directed.
- Christmas Punch in Sherbet. Top each glass of this Raspberry Champagne Float with Christmas punch instead of champagne.
- Christmas Punch with Raspberry Vodka. Swap in an equal amount of raspberry vodka for the rum or brandy in this recipe.
- Pomegranate Christmas Punch. Use pomegranate juice instead of cranberry juice, and swap in pomegranate seeds for the cranberries.
What are Christmas Drinks?
Christmas drinks are delicious, festive, and perfect for serving at parties. This punch is one of my favorites, and I have other suggestions for you too!
- What is the Best Holiday Drink? If you’re looking for alcoholic traditional Christmas drinks, I think this Christmas punch is one of the best holiday drinks out there. Everyone loves it, and it even looks the part.
- If you need to make Christmas drinks for kids, this recipe makes for excellent non-alcoholic holiday drinks as well. See non-alcoholic adaption above.
- I also love serving these other easy Christmas drinks: Mulled Wine, Champagne Punch, Apple Cider Champagne Cocktail, Slow Cooked Spiced White Wine, Cranberry St. Germain Cocktail, Brandy Old Fashioned, and Hot Buttered Bourbon.
What to Serve with Christmas Punch
This traditional Christmas punch goes perfectly with every holiday recipe. Here are a few ideas:
- Appetizers. Pesto Pinwheels, Cheese Fondue, or Crab Artichoke Toasts are much loved holiday apps.
- Desserts. Perfect Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Ginger Cookies, Rum Snickerdoodles, and Brown Butter Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies would all be delicious alongside a glass of Christmas punch.
Recommended Tools to Make Christmas Punch
- Punch Bowl. I also love this punch bowl set.
- I used this one from Crate and Barrel, and the size was excellent for a crowd. This one is nice also, and this one doubles as a cake stand if you flip it over (WHAT?).
- Large Measuring Cup. (I use this simple one)
If you are looking for a drink recipe for your next party—or for a good excuse to throw a party, period—I hope you’ll give this Christmas Punch a try. It combines a retro holiday feel with a fresh modern taste, and I know your guests will love it as much as we do!
Christmas Punch
Ingredients
- 1 large bag of ice
- 5 cups 100% cranberry juice* — 40 ounces, NOT cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 bottles very dry sparkling wine — (750 ml bottles) , such as champagne, cava, or Prosecco (I used a brut Prosecco)
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 1/2 cups diet ginger ale — (12 ounces) (from 1 can or poured from a liter bottle)
- 1 1/2 cups dark rum or brandy — (12 ounces)
- 2 oranges — thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Make sure all of the ingredients are well chilled. Fill a large punch bowl with ice. Top with the cranberry juice, sparkling wine, apple cider, ginger ale, and rum. Stir gently to combine. Top with the orange slices and fresh cranberries. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *IMPORTANT NOTE ON CRANBERRY JUICE: Look for a juice that is marked 100% cranberry but that has a blend of other juices, usually apple, added (it is confusing! This is the one I used). If you purchase 100% pure cranberry juice without any other fruits used, it may be too tart for your taste. If this happens, you can sweetened the punch to your liking by stirring in 1/4 to 1/2 cup simple syrup.
- Nutritional information assumes no ice melt. Since realistically, some ice will melt into the glasses, the numbers are a bit high for 6 ounces. Feel free to use myfitnesspal.com or another service if you need a more precise estimate.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1 glass, about 6 ounces) — Calories: 137, Sodium: 18mg, Carbohydrates: 13g, Sugar: 12gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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I just love a good punch for a Holiday party! This one is so festive and of course, my favorite color! Cheers!
Thanks so much, Liz!
This looks awesome! My friend, Betsy, and I got together today to prepare your fabulous Perfect Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie recipe! We made two batches (went through Step 3) and froze the “disks.” We will get together next week to defrost, roll out, cookie cutter them, bake, frost and decorate them. We made them last year and, truly, they are PERFECT! I will make us a mini-batch of this punch to enjoy while we complete our annual Christmas cookie baking! Thank you, Erin, for another great recipe! Happy Holidays!
Laurie, I am SOOOO happy to hear this, thank you! I hope you love the punch too. It would be extra yummy with cookies :)
This looks so festive! The perfect way to wash down all those cookies! Lol. And makes being a hostess so much easier!
Thanks so much Liz! I love how quick and easy it makes things too!
I love your water cooler idea. :) And this punch, so perfectly sparkly for the holidays!
so you’re saying I need to come for happy hour then, right? YES! A festive punch with wine = SOLD!!
YAY for Christmas Punch- my favorite way to celebrate a holiday!
GIMME ALL THE PUNCH!!!!
Such a pretty punch!
Punch is definitely one of my party favorites!
I always like trying new punch recipes during the holidays! This is one is sure to be a HIT!
I have been looking for a holiday drink and this is it!! Love it!
Hi,
I want to make this for a drink dispenser, not a bowl. Should I still add of the ice to it? I don’t want it to get watered down…
Thanks
Hi Catherine, you could mix up the punch in the dispenser without the ice and then when serving just pour it into individual glasses over ice. That way it won’t get diluted sitting in the dispenser. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Good idea, thanks!
Gorgeous pictures. I made these punch for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Thank YOU Jill! I am so happy to hear it was a hit!
Made this for my cousin’s Christmas Eve brunch and it was the hot of the party! Had to make a few refills. We had to use frozen cranberries since all of the fresh ones were sold out, but it was still delicious and refreshing and since I doubled the rum, and used Goslings, it packed quite the punch! I also added some cinnamon sticks to the punch bowl and used more garnish/stirrers, it was so yummy!! Love your recipes, thanks for sharing!!
Jenn, thank you so much for taking the time to share this review! I’m happy to hear the punch was enjoyed by all!
This made my family Christmas extra celebratory and special. Thank you!
Jennifer, I’m so thrilled to hear that! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try at such a special occasion and for taking the time to report back!
I made the Christmas Punch twice over the holidays. Both times I made half the recipe which was great. I used Ginger beer . Thanks again for another great festive recipe!
Rose, thanks so much for leaving this wonderful review! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Definitely, your punch is awesomeness! This is a great recipe Erin, as you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely, in fact, have made it again since. Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad this hit the spot Bella, thank you!
That punch is so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx, Erin for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Robin! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review too!
Is ok to use regular ginger ale and not diet? I hate diet taste.
Hi Betty, yes, that’s okay!
Can I use Cranberry Wine instead of cranberry juice?
Hi Donna! I’ve never tried. If the cranberry wine is sweet, I’d probably stick with cranberry juice to make sure it isn’t too sweet. You can always play around though and see what you like!
Do you think this would taste just as good without the rum/brandy? Only using champage
Hi Theresa, it would change the taste, but I think it could still be good. You can adjust the ratios of the other ingredients too if you’d like.
Wee love this it’s SO festive and easy to make!
My family loves this punch fir Christmas!
How fun! I’m going to serve it at my holiday party this weekend.
This will make any party!
Perfect for the holiday! So bright and perky!!
Perfect holiday punch! So festive and so yummy!
Such a festive and fun recipe for the holidays. Will definitely make it again.
I love how festive this is, perfect party drink!
The perfect party punch!
It was a hit with my family! I can’t wait to make it again for Christmas!
Really pretty recipe for our Christmas party, thank you!
This is the party I want to be at! I love a good punch!
What can I replace the cider with?
Hi Sophia! The apple cider is pretty essential to the punch. You could try plain apple juice, but it won’t have the same warm flavors. I’d recommend sticking with cider for this one!
Hi Erin! Is it sparkling apple cider or regular?
Regular!
I am always looking for a non-alcoholic beverage to serve. This went over perfectly!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Stephanie! Thanks for reporting back!
Hi Stephanie,
How did the non-alcoholic work.
Can you replace the rum with vodka?
Hi Natalie! I love the rum here because its spiciness adds to the holiday feel of punch, but if you like, you can use vodka instead. I hope you enjoy the punch!
Hi Erin! Have you ever tried this punch warm? Do you think it would work served warm rather than over ice? It may be cold here on the day I’m planning to serve it. Thanks so much! It looks amazing!
Hi Shelly! Sorry, but this drink really needs to be served chilled. For a delicious warm holiday drink, try this spiced wine: https://www.wellplated.com/spiced-wine/
Hi Erin! It looks and sounds great. Can you serve it warm rather than chilled?
Thanks! Happy Holidays!
Hi Shelly! This is one I definitely recommend chilled. If you’d like a warm drink, check out my Spiced Wine! https://www.wellplated.com/spiced-wine/
This looks like a lovely punch. Is Captain Morgan rum ok or should it be plain dark rum?
Thank you!
Susan, Captain Morgan will be great! I hope you enjoy it!
Great recipe.
So happy to hear it, thank you!
We made this and it was a major hit. Will be saving it for future years! Thank you for sharing.
YAY Lola! So so happy to hear it!
Super excited to make this for the whole fam tomorrow! Any recommendations on brand of rum?
Erin, not particularly! We did it with plain old Captain Morgan :) I hope you all enjoy!
making this tomorrow. Should I use an alcoholic apple cider like somersby? Or just non alcoholic regular apple cider?
Non alcoholic regular apple cider is perfect!
Want to try this tomorrow…Christmas Day.
Can this be made ahead of time?…
Like 1 day in advance…minus the ice??
Chris, I didn’t check comments on Christmas Eve as I was with family, but I hope you all enjoyed this! For next time, you can add everything but the sparkling wine/ginger ale so that it stays bubbly.
If this is made in advance will it still taste the same?
Mo, you can mix in everything but the ginger ale and champagne in advance. The bubbly liquids you want to add just before serving so that the punch does not go lat. I hope you enjoy it!
So the ingrednta listed aren’t discriptive enough- I made this punch with cranberry juice which was not cocktail- but a natural cranberry as that is what I assumed it was. Not a SINGLE person at our party touched this punch. So dissapointing and a waste of money buying a bowl and everything to make this punch. Be carful when make it and try it before if you aren’t sure which juice or ingredients to make.
Hi Britt! So I did actually make this with 100% cranberry juice as the ingredients note, but it can vary quite a bit depending upon your taste and how sweet you like your drinks. If it is too tart for you liking, next time you can add simple syrup. Regardless, I know it is so disappointing to try a new recipe and not have it come out (especially at the holidays!) so I’m so sorry that was the case here.
I was so excited to find this recipe but we used 100% Cranberry juice from Trader Joes and our punch was kind of sour or tart tasting! ? I also purchased 100% cranberry juice that was the ocean spray brand but noticed in fine print it was a blend of juices and much sweeter but wondering if that’s where we went wrong? What is the best Cranberry juice brand etc to use? Also we used a Grand Cayman dark rum because we were told it was one of the better rums so not sure! The alcohol content seemed great but guests complained it was pretty tart. Would love to try this one again though.
Heather, next time you can try a juice blend if that helps to make it more to your taste. If you’d like it even sweeter, you can also stir in some simple syrup. I hope you enjoy it more next time!
Thanks so mich Erin! I am just like you with not caring for the sweeter drinks so i knew we would absolutely love this one but I honestly believe it was the brand of cranberry juice that we used or perhaps the champagne ? We just used the inexpensive Cooks brut so perhaps you would not mind emailing me or sharing the brands that you prefer as far as the Cranberry and champagne is concerned because this is the best (not overly sweet) recipe of punch that i have tried so im determined to make it work! ? Thanks so much for sharing! ❤️
Heather, both of these things can have a MAJOR impact! I used ocean spray cranberry juice (the one marked 100% but that confusingly and frustratingly also contains apple juice). For sparkling wine that I am mixing with other things, I usually look for something marked “brut” that costs between $12 and $15. I find that price range leaves me with plenty of options for a wine that makes for a great-tasting punch! La Marca is one one of my favorite proseccos and is dry, but there are plenty of other options too depending upon what your store carries. I hope that is helpful! The brand of rum/brandy matters too. For brandy, I usually use Korbel (simple and pretty inexpensive but good). I’m not a huge rum drinker but in a punch like this Captain Morgan is generally just fine. Feel free to let me know if you have other questions!
Omgosh thank you for this recipe.
I made this Christmas eve. Put it all in a few giant bottles. Omitting the ice of course. Then put the ice in the punch bowl Christmas afternoon.
Turned out amazing!!
Whole family loved it. I will definitely make this again…maybe Easter lol
Dont be afraid to make this exactly as in the recipe says.
?
I am soooooo so so overjoyed to hear this. THANK YOU for taking time to leave this review too!
Omg i bought the Ocean Spray first, but found the TJ brand a few days later so did not use the OS and my absolute FAVE champagne is La Marca! Ok i am going to make this again on NYE with both of these! Betting it will be a ? with these changes and i already loved the amount of alcohol! I was feeling great just from the taste testing! ? Thanks again! ❤️
Cheers Heather!!!! I hope it goes better and would love to hear what you think (and La Marca is the best!) FYI, I love the Trader Joe’s Reserve Brut Sparkling that’s sold at the holidays too. Happy NYE!
I plan to make this tonight and when I reviewed the recipe with my sister she wondered whether the fresh cranberries could be frozen to help keep the punch nice and cold? (I assume that people don’t eat them while drinking the punch!)
Hi Kathy! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think that could work. If you decide to give it a go, I’d love to hear what you think!
HI Erin
I am going to make this Non-alcoholic. I am going to substitute sparkling cider for the wine. Do you suggest any other changes. I am going to put the run on the side if someone wants to add some alcohol.
Hi Denise! At the end of the blog post (if you scroll up from the recipe), I include my suggestions for making the punch nonalcoholic. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Very successful recipe. Thanks, Erin
Hooray! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jessica.
This looks so pretty! I’m making this for my party on saturday.
Does the ice water it down a lot?
Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you!
Hi Leanne, the longer the punch sits out, the more the ice will melt into it. Since everything is chilled before pouring it over ice, however, this doesn’t happen immediately!
Absolutely perfect! Everyone loved the punch!
This recipe is just so nice!
Thank you!
Hooray! Thanks for reporting back, Leanne. I’m glad it was a success!
This recipe rocks (I was actually looking for a different champagne punch recipe.)
Definitely easy, quick and much of a crowd pleaser.
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, David! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
What kind of rum should I use?
Hi Nija! I use Captain Morgan, but any decent dark rum will do! For brandy, I like Korbel. I hope you love the recipe if you try it!
Can I use regular ginger ale in this punch? I cannot drink diet drinks.
Hi Tammy, yes you can use regular ginger ale for this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
I rarely take the time to comment (shame on me because I definitely rely on ratings and comments), but this one was a MUST. It was incredible. We made it for our Christmas party and every single person loved it. I thought that it would be a little overpowering given the amount of alcohol, but it was not. Great combination and not too sweet.
Courtney, THANK YOU! This means so much to me that you left the review and I am thrilled everyone loved it!
Hello,
Just one question! Why diet ginger ale? Can I use regular?
Melissa, if you aren’t a fan of diet ginger ale, regular is great to use too. I hope you love the recipe!
hey great
thank you for sharing such nice and useful information
Hi Erin. I do not understand what type of cranberry juice you mean. How can something be 100% cranberry juice if it’s blended with other juice? I see cranberry juice that is labeled 100% fruit juice. Is that what you mean? Other than that, there’s only cranberry juice cocktail or 100% cranberry juice, which as you mention is unsweetened and very tart.
Hi Sue, it is very confusing! You should use a juice that is labeled 100% cranberry juice, versus cranberry juice cocktail. The juice should be marked 100% cranberry but still contain has a blend of other juices for some natural sweetness This is the one that I used. I hope that helps!
Can you use light rum in this recipe instead of dark??
Hi Lisa! Light rum has a slightly different flavor profile than dark rum but, you can use it in this recipe if you prefer. I hope you enjoy it!
Do you think this could be used with Pom juice instead of the cranberry juice? Thanks!
Absolutely, Carolyn! I hope you enjoy it!
Can you use Spiced Rum?
Sure!
Can you use spiced rum?
Hi Shannon! You can make the swap, but it will change the flavor profile. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
How long can christmas punch stay in the fridge that has been drank?
Hi Marie! This punch is best the day it is served, as the ginger ale and sparkling wine may become flat. I have not tried to save the leftovers, but I suspect it will still taste fine for a couple of days. I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Is it okay to use Diet Cranberry Juice or does that make it too sweet?
Hi Becca! I have not tried the recipe this way, but I suspect it will be more tart. If you want to try it, you can always stir in some simple syrup at the end to sweeten it up some. I hope this helps!
We tend to like punches that sneak up on you. Did anyone add more liquor, or is this sufficient? Regarding apple cider, is there a substitute? I fear it may be hard to find with the holidays being over. Thank you!
Hi Christina! I found the liquor in this punch to be sufficient, but you could always add more if needed. The apple cider is pretty essential to the punch. You could try plain apple juice, but it won’t have the same warm flavors. If you’re able to find cider, that’s the best option!