Christmas Champagne Punch Cocktail
- A good Champagne punch is always light and refreshing, and appropriate for any party—afternoon or evening. It’s simple to make, and looks beautiful out on the bar or sideboard. It’s important to use a decent brut Champagne; many moderately priced Champagnes and sparkling wines fit this category. This punch uses a flavorful ice ring to keep it at the perfect temperature throughout the evening.
SERVES 12 TO 15
For the Punch:
Two 750 ml bottles brut Champagne or
other dry sparkling wine, chilled
2 liters ginger ale, chilled
16 ounces lemonade, chilled
16 ounces orange juice, no pulp, chilled
15 strawberries, sliced
15 whole strawberries
For the Ice Ring:
Lemonade
Sliced strawberries
- MAKE THE PUNCH:
In a large (6-quart minimum) punch bowl, combine the Champagne, ginger ale, lemonade, and orange juice. Depending on taste, you can strengthen the punch by adding an extra bottle of Champagne, or temper it by increasing the amount of orange juice. Add the sliced strawberries directly to the punch. Cut a slit in each whole strawberry and garnish the rim of the bowl with them.
- MAKE THE ICE RING:
Find a gelatin mold of appropriate size for the punch bowl you plan to use; the ring should fit comfortably in the bowl, leaving plenty of room for the punch. Fill the ring with the lemonade and fresh strawberries, and place in the freezer until solid, approximately 1½ hours.
Remove the ice ring from the mold by placing the mold, open side down, on a flat, even surface. Gently tap the top of the mold to loosen the ring, then wiggle the sides while pulling the mold upward until the ice releases. Don’t put the ring into the bowl until you’re ready to serve the punch.
Making the ice ring (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Adding fruit to the mold; filling the mold with liquid of choice; after freezing, loosening the ice ring by immersing the mold in a bowl of warm water; unmolding the ice ring into the punch bowl.
New Year’s Eve Punch
- Here’s a variation on Champagne punch, dressed up for New Year’s with a touch of Cognac for extra punch and some triple sec for flavor. You can serve this directly over ice, or with ice in a bucket on the side, or make an ice ring by freezing a small portion of the juices in a ring mold.
SERVES 25
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
(from about 5 large lemons), strained
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup triple sec
2⁄3 cup grenadine
2 cups Cognac
Three 750 ml bottles Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
2 oranges, sliced into wheels, for garnish
- In a large bowl, combine the juices, triple sec, grenadine, and Cognac. Transfer the mixture into containers and refrigerate until ready to serve. Prior to serving, chill your punch bowl with ice cubes. When the bowl is cold, remove the ice, and replace with a frozen ice ring or fresh ice cubes. Pour the punch mixture into the bowl, add the Champagne and orange wheels, and stir gently. Serve immediately.
Cold Spiced Rum and Tea Punch
- The sweet/spicy flavor of spiced rum balances with the astringency of tea and the sweetness of fresh fruit juices to produce a deliciously tangy punch appropriate for any occasion. Keep it cool with a large block of ice, or combine a small amount of the nonalcoholic ingredients to form an ice ring.
SERVES 12
1½ cups freshly brewed breakfast-type tea
½ cup sugar
1½ cups spiced rum
2 ounces Grand Marnier
2 ounces triple sec
1 ounce grenadine
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
12 lemon twists
- In a saucepan, stir the brewed tea and sugar together over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool. In a punch bowl, combine the rum, Grand Marnier, triple sec, grenadine, and fruit juices. Stir in the sweetened tea. Serve over ice in tall highball glasses, garnished with the lemon twists.
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