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Thanksgiving Punch

Thanksgiving punch with chilled cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, and ginger ale for a crisp, ruby-red drink. Topped with orange slices, fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and ice for a festive floating garnish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
chill 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Punch base
  • 4 cup cranberry juice cocktail chilled
  • 2 cup apple cider chilled
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup lime juice fresh, chilled
  • 1 l ginger ale or sparkling water chilled
Garnish
  • 1 orange thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 ice

Equipment

  • 1 punch bowl

Method
 

Mix the punch
  1. Combine cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, orange juice, and lime juice in a punch bowl.
  2. Stir gently until evenly mixed, keeping the surface clear for floating garnishes.
Chill
  1. Chill the punch until ready to serve, about 30 minutes.
  2. Cover the punch bowl to keep it cold and prevent dilution before adding bubbles.
Add garnishes
  1. Add orange slices, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprigs to the chilled punch.
  2. Gently arrange the garnishes so they float visibly above the surface.
Finish and serve
  1. Pour in ginger ale or sparkling water just before serving to preserve the fizz.
  2. Add ice and ladle into glasses immediately, using visible garnish in each serving.

Notes

For the brightest flavor and best carbonation, chill the base and ginger ale separately, then add the ginger ale right before serving. Refrigerate leftover punch covered for up to 2 days; the texture will be less fizzy. Freezing is not recommended because the garnish and carbonation will deteriorate. For a lighter option, swap ginger ale for lemon-lime sparkling water and use reduced-sugar cranberry juice cocktail if available.