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Thanksgiving Punch

Thanksgiving punch with chilled cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, and orange-lime citrus for a ruby-red, festive drink. Topped with orange slices, fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and ginger ale poured just before serving for a sparkling finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Thanksgiving Punch
  • 4 cup cranberry juice cocktail chilled
  • 2 cup apple cider chilled
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup lime juice fresh and chilled
  • 1 liter ginger ale or sparkling water, chilled
  • 1 orange thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 4 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 ice

Equipment

  • 1 punch bowl

Method
 

Mix the base
  1. In a punch bowl, combine cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, orange juice, and lime juice. Stir until evenly blended and glossy ruby-red.
Chill
  1. Cover and chill the punch until ready to serve, keeping it cold for the best flavor. The base should be well chilled, about 10 minutes or longer depending on your setup.
Add garnishes
  1. Add orange slices, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprigs to the chilled punch. Scatter evenly so every glass gets visible fruit and herbs.
Serve sparkling
  1. Just before serving, pour in ginger ale (or sparkling water) and let it settle for 1 minute. Keep it fizzy by adding it at the end, not during chilling.
Ice and ladle
  1. Add ice to the punch bowl and ladle into glasses. Serve immediately so the drink stays sparkling and cold.

Notes

Pro tip: Chill the juices and cider at least several hours if possible so the flavors stay bright once ice is added. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days, but add ginger ale fresh when reheating is not needed—if you’ve already added it, it will lose sparkle over time. Freezing is not recommended because citrus and cranberries can get watery after thawing. For a lighter swap, use diet ginger ale or sparkling water (still add fresh ginger ale/cider flavors at the end for the best taste).