Ingredients:

  • 2 Litres (5 cups) Good Quality Apple Cider
  • 240 ml (1 cup) Water
  • 100 g (½ cup, packed) Light Brown Sugar
  • 6 Cinnamon Sticks (3 inches / 7-8 cm long)
  • 1 tbsp Whole Cloves
  • 1 whole Large Orange, washed and sliced into rounds
  • 1 whole knob Fresh Ginger (approx. 5 cm / 2 inches), peeled and roughly sliced
  • 8 Litres (7.5 cups) Cranberry Juice Cocktail
  • 720 ml (3 cups) Pomegranate Juice (pure, unsweetened)
  • 120 ml (½ cup) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
  • 2 Litres (8.5 cups) Ginger Ale or Sparkling Water (chilled)
  • 120 ml (½ cup) Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)
  • 1 cup (150 g) Fresh Cranberries
  • 1 Green Apple, thinly sliced for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Combine Ingredients: In a large saucepan, combine the Apple Cider, Water, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, sliced Orange, and sliced Ginger.
  2. Gently Simmer: Bring the mixture slowly to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the spices. Do not boil aggressively.
  3. Cool and Steep: Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the base to cool to room temperature (30–45 minutes). Cover the pot and transfer to the refrigerator to steep and chill completely for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours for deeper flavor).
  4. Strain the Base: Pour the chilled spiced mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl, ensuring all solids (spices, ginger, orange) are removed. Discard the solids.
  5. Combine Juices: Pour the strained spiced base into the large punch bowl. Add the Cranberry Juice Cocktail, Pomegranate Juice, and fresh Orange Juice. Stir well to combine.
  6. Prepare Garnish and Ice: Place the ice ring or ice cubes into the punch bowl. Add the fresh cranberries and apple slices directly to the punch bowl.
  7. Add the Fizz: Just before serving (no more than 15 minutes prior), pour in the chilled Ginger Ale (or optional sparkling wine). Stir gently once or twice. If spiking the batch, add the optional Grand Marnier/Cointreau before the fizz.
  8. Serve: Ladle the sparkling punch into small glasses or cups.