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Light & Festive Spiced Cranberry Mocktail Punch

light & festive spiced cranberry mocktail punch - featured image
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A quick and easy mocktail punch made with cranberry juice, warm spices, and sparkling water. Perfect for holiday parties and any celebration, this crowd-pleasing drink comes together in under 15 minutes with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups cranberry juice (100% juice, unsweetened preferred)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced into thin rounds
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 star anise pods (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • 2 cups sparkling water or club soda, chilled
  • 1 large orange, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (for garnish)
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Pour the cranberry juice and water into a large saucepan. Add the cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, whole cloves, star anise (if using), and the split vanilla bean pod. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil, about 5-7 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let it boil hard.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in the honey or maple syrup until dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
  4. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl or directly over a large pitcher. Carefully pour the hot liquid through the strainer to remove spices and ginger. Press gently on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavor. Discard solids.
  5. Let the strained liquid cool to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes. You can speed this up by placing the pitcher in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  6. Once the spiced base is completely cool, pour in the chilled sparkling water. Stir gently to combine without losing too many bubbles.
  7. Add the orange slices and fresh cranberries to the pitcher. If using rosemary sprigs, gently slap them between your palms before adding. Fill glasses with ice (if desired) and pour the punch over top. Garnish each glass with an orange slice and a few cranberries.

Notes

Make the spiced base a day ahead and refrigerate. Add sparkling water and garnishes just before serving. For a stronger spice flavor, steep the spices longer (but no more than 15 minutes to avoid bitterness). Use large ice cubes or an ice ring to prevent dilution.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry punch, mocktail, holiday drink, non-alcoholic punch, spiced punch, festive drink, party punch

Find it online: https://crispcraving.com/light-and-festive-spiced-cranberry-mocktail-punch/