Whether you've got a backyard barbecue, birthday, or holiday gathering coming up, making punch for your event is an easy way to ensure everyone's cups stay full. By knowing the right ratio of fruit juice, water, and carbonated beverage, as well as other tasty add-ins, you can mix and match to create a variety of punch recipes. To get you started, we've got a delicious base recipe that will work with all sorts of flavors. By using our easy formula, you'll know how to make fruit punch, rum punch, sherbet punch, and more. If you want to add an ice ring for a classic presentation, we'll show you how to make one of those, too.
How to Make Punch
This basic recipe will allow for 1 gallon of punch, which is enough for sixteen 8-ounce servings.
In a large pitcher or bowl combine 4 cups water and one 12-oz. can frozen juice concentrate from the options below. Add 1 cup sugar; stir until dissolved. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap; chill at least 4 hours. Here are some juice concentrate options you could choose from to mix with the water and sugar:
Cranberry juice
Lemonade
Limeade
Orange juice
Pineapple juice
Step 2: Choose a Juice
Just before serving, pour the chilled juice mixture into a large punch bowl. Stir in 2½ cups of a juice blend from the following options:
Slowly stir in one 2-liter bottle of a carbonated beverage from the following options:
Cream soda
Ginger ale
Lemon-lime carbonated beverage
Orange carbonated beverage
Strawberry carbonated beverage
Step 4: Choose Optional Stir-Ins
If desired, add an ice ring (more on that below) and 1 cup stir-ins from the following options. If you want to learn how to make alcoholic punch (like a rum punch recipe) or you just want to dress up your punch with some spare fruit slices or fresh herbs, this is the time to stir in your extras. Use one or more of these stir-in options:
Citrus fruit slices
Kiwifruit slices
Rum, vodka, gin, bourbon, or tequila
Sherbet or sorbet
Sliced fresh strawberries
Fresh raspberries
Make-Ahead Punch Tip: Prepare punch through Step 2, except do not add the carbonated beverage or, if using, ice ring and stir-ins. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Add carbonated beverage, ice ring, and stir-ins just before serving.
How to Make an Ice Ring
If you want to learn how to make punch for a party, consider adding an ice ring. Not only are they attractive, but they can also keep your beverage cold for an hour or more. You can use a 10-inch tube pan ($15, Bed Bath & Beyond) or a fluted cake pan for your mold. Silicone pans also work well. Make sure the ice ring will fit into your punch bowl. To make sure the ice ring does not dilute the punch as it melts, use extra punch instead of water.
Add a little drama: You can make an ice ring using just the punch, but they're even more attractive when they're made with fruit like orange, lemon and/or lime slices; cherries; sliced strawberries; raspberries; or blackberries. You can also use edible flowers or mint leaves. Arrange these into the pan.
Layer fruits in the pan: Fill the mold with about 1 inch punch or water; freeze until solid. This will hold the add-ins in place and keep them from floating. Once frozen, fill the mold with another inch of punch or water and the fruit of your choice; freeze until solid. Continue until the mold is as full as you want it to be. To release from the pan, let the ring sit at room temperature about 20 minutes or place the mold in hot water for about 1 minute.
Garnishes for Punch
Be sure you have a ladle at the ready for serving punch. Just like a co*cktail, punch is even more fun and special for your guests when you have garnishes available on the buffet table. Here are some fun ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Orange, lemon, and/or lime slices
Fruit kabob made of pineapple slices, citrus fruit wedges, maraschino cherries, and/or strawberries
Melon balls and/or small watermelon slices threaded onto a skewer
Edible flowers
Pretty ice cubes made by putting a strawberry or cherry in the center and filling trays with white grape juice
Paper umbrellas
There's more to punch than chilled versions. During the holidays and in the colder months, there's no better greeting than serving the family a toasty warm drink. Go for a non-carbonated punch such as hot cider or hot buttered rum. And with hot drinks, there's an added bonus of wonderful aromas wafting throughout your house. The trick is to keep the beverage hot in a slow cooker.
Make-Ahead Punch Tip: Prepare punch through Step 2, except do not add the carbonated beverage or, if using, ice ring and stir-ins. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Add carbonated beverage, ice ring, and stir-ins just before serving.
When serving punch in a large bowl or pitcher, go for larger blocks or rings of ice. This is especially important if your punch will be sitting out for an extended period of time. The block will melt slowly, keeping the punch chilled without diluting it too quickly.
A serving of punch is 150–200 ml per person. Depending on the duration of the event and what other drinks are being served, it's good to prepare 2–3 servings per guest.
The general rule is to provide one gallon of punch for every 10 guests. A conservative estimate assumes each guest will drink about three four-ounce servings. If you're providing other beverages, reduce the amount of punch you make.
Can You Make Party Punch Ahead? The punch (without the ginger ale) can be made and refrigerated for up to one week. Add the ginger ale right before serving. Or, the punch without ginger ale can be frozen and then thawed a day before serving.
NOTE* Allow this fruit punch to sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before serving to let the flavors mingle. It tastes even better when you make it a day ahead. 1-2 cups of sugar (I always use 2 cups!
Using regular ice cubes will indeed water down a bowl of punch as the evening progresses. Here are a few basic tricks that'll make sure your punch doesn't lose its oomph while guests circulate. 1. Mix and freeze some punch ahead of time in ice cube trays, and then add them to the punch bowl throughout the evening.
co*cktails, on the other hand, tend to treat spirits as the star, and will match the non-alcoholic elements ounce for ounce, or even forgo the add-ins entirely. Punches, therefore, contain significantly less alcohol, and since the highlight is often fruit juices, taste quite a bit sweeter than your standard co*cktail.
A punch that's 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) or less is ideal. Adding more nonalcoholic mixers (e.g., soda, juice, etc.) will knock down the strength. co*cktails that make good punches include fruit juices, wines, and sodas. In other words, recipes with more nonalcoholic ingredients than liquor.
When does Punch expire? If unopened, a store bought punch mix or ready-made punch can last up to 9-12 months past the printed date on the package, as long as it is stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, it should be consumed within 7-10 days. If you've made punch from scratch, it should be consumed within 3-5 days.
If you're hosing 25 -35 guests, plan 3-4 bites per person if a full dinner is to be served afterwards, or 5-7 bites per person if a lighter meal will be served. If you're hosting a party of 50, then you can offer 6 to 9 different items.
Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet.
BeatBox is a ready-to-drink co*cktail that is available in fruit-forward “Party Punch” flavors and delicious “Hard Tea” flavors. Both BeatBox “Party Punch” and BeatBox “Hard Tea” are produced as a wine-base version and a malt-base version in 11.1% ABV, 8% ABV, and 6% ABV.
Stir pineapple juice, orange juice, 151 proof rum, dark rum, coconut-flavored rum, lime juice, and grenadine syrup together in a punch bowl. Float orange slices, lime slices, and lemon slices in the punch. Ladle the punch into ice filled glasses, or chill the punch in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
In fact, the word “punch” is thought to derive from the Hindi word for “five,” as the original drink was frequently made with just five ingredients: alcohol (usually rum, brandy, or arack), sugar, juice (from either a lime or a lemon), water, and spices (like nutmeg).
The flavor to me is exactly like when you reach the milk from a bowl of fruity pebbles cereal. And this flavor is definitely inhanaced when you mix it with milk rather than water. Party Punch meets my standards 100%!
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