Refreshing Pomegranate Punch
Easy, crowd-friendly, and perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Friendsgiving, or any holiday party, this refreshing pomegranate punch looks stunning on the table and tastes like a party in a glass. Keep it a mocktail or spike it for the adults; both are amazing.
Erica’s Notes
‘Punch’ conjures up images of church basements and dumping liters of Sprite and gallons of lime sherbet into huge punch bowls. But this is not that kind of punch, my friends. This is more like a refreshing mocktail that I can make by the pitcher to serve to a crowd. Everyone can help themselves so I’m not mixing drinks all night. 💯
I actually make a scaled-down version of this quite often when my girls request ‘a special drink’ with dinner. It’s made with lots of sparkling water and 100% fruit juice, so it feels a little more special than water, but not quite the sugar bomb that traditional punch is.
The pomegranate + apple + citrus is the perfect vibe for the holiday season and makes a festive drink that rounds out any holiday spread, whether it’s Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas brunch. I’m making a big batch this year and will serve half as a mocktail and add triple sec and vodka to the other half. 😏 It’s super versatile and couldn’t be easier!
What You’ll Need to Make Pomegranate Punch
- Pomegranate juice: I love POM Wonderful, which is 100% pomegranate juice and gives a bold, punchy pomegranate flavor.
- Lime juice: You can either squeeze fresh limes or use the bottled 100% lime juice (not from concentrate).
- Sparkling cider or ginger ale: Use a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider or ginger ale. I love to use the Olipop ginger ale or crisp apple sodas, if you want a lower sugar option!
- Sparkling water: plain club soda, seltzer water or flavored sparkling water will work, whatever you like best.
- Fresh fruit: orange wedges, lime and lemon slices, fresh pomegranate seeds and sprigs of rosemary
- Optional alcohol: vodka, gin, or silver tequila plus a splash of triple sec or other orange liqueur like Grand Marnier.
How to Make This Pomegranate Punch
Add the pomegranate juice, lime juice, sliced oranges, sliced limes and rosemary sprigs to a large pitcher or punch bowl.
Give everything a good mix and gently press the fruit and rosemary with a spoon to release some of their oils and juices.
If serving right away, pour in the sparkling cider and sparkling water and stir again.
If prepping ahead, refrigerate the base mixture and add the bubbly ingredients right before serving to keep maximum fizz and freshness.
Serve over ice cubes or crushed ice with pomegranate arils, lime slices and a sprig of rosemary.
FAQ
You can muddle the juices, fruit slices, and rosemary ahead of time, but wait to add the sparkling ingredients (sparkling cider and water) until you’re ready to serve.
Vodka, gin or silver tequila are the spirits I would recommend, and then a big splash of Triple Sec to reinforce the citrus notes. Another option is to replace the sparkling water with sparkling wine.
Ginger ale, ginger beer or any type of sparkling juice will work. I also love the crisp apple Olipop.
Serve these with your holiday punch:
Here’s your sign to serve this holiday drink at your next party, cheers!
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Refreshing Pomegranate Punch
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Pomegranate punch that’s sparkling, light, refreshing and perfect for the holidays. Easy to make as a mocktail or spike for the adults.
Ingredients
- 32 oz pomegranate juice
- 1–2 mandarin oranges, sliced
- 1–2 limes, sliced
- 6–8 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 25oz bottle sparkling cider or ginger ale
- 1 32oz bottle sparkling water or club soda
- to serve: lots of ice, pomegranate airls, lime slice, rosemary sprig
Instructions
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, add the orange slices, lime slices, fresh rosemary, pomegranate juice and lime juice. Use a large spoon to mix and smash/muddle the juices with the rosemary sprigs and fruit slices.
- If you’re serving right away, add the sparkling cider and sparkling water. If you’re prepping ahead, wait to add the bubbles until you’re ready to serve.
- Serve over ice with pomegranate arils, lime slices and rosemary, if desired!
Notes
To make this alcoholic: add 2 cups vodka, gin or silver tequila and ½ cup triple sec.
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If I’m spiking this, how much vodka/gin/ triple sec would you add? Gin might be good and would complement the rosemary!
Hey Erin! Make sure to check my recipe notes and the frequently asked questions for answers on this! 🙂