Ingredients:

  • 4 cups Pomegranate Juice (1 Litre, 100% juice)
  • 4 cups Cranberry Juice (1 Litre, Tart/unsweetened)
  • ½ cup packed Dark Brown Sugar (100 grams)
  • 1 large Orange (Zest and peel, plus slices for garnish)
  • 2 inches Fresh Ginger (50 grams, roughly sliced)
  • 4 large Cinnamon Sticks (Whole)
  • 6 pieces Star Anise (Whole)
  • 1 teaspoon Whole Cloves (5 ml)
  • 4 dashes Orange Bitters (2.5 ml, optional)
  • 6 cups Sparkling Apple Cider OR Ginger Ale (1.5 Litres, well chilled)
  • ½ cup Fresh Cranberries (80 grams, for floating/garnish)
  • 6 small Rosemary Sprigs (For decorative garnish)
  • Ice (As needed)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare Aromatics: Using a vegetable peeler, strip the zest from the orange, avoiding the bitter white pith. Roughly slice the ginger.
  2. Combine Ingredients: In the large saucepan, combine the Pomegranate Juice, Cranberry Juice, Brown Sugar, Orange zest/peel, sliced Ginger, Cinnamon Sticks, Star Anise, and Cloves.
  3. Simmer Gently: Bring the mixture to a slow, rolling simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved (about 5 minutes). Do not boil aggressively.
  4. Steep: Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and allow the mixture to steep for 30 minutes. This is essential for deep flavour extraction.
  5. Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or container, ensuring all solids (spices, zest, ginger) are removed. Discard the solids.
  6. Chill: Add the orange bitters (if using). Cover the spiced base and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (minimum 3 hours, ideally overnight).
  7. Prep Garnishes: Slice the reserved orange thinly. Wash and dry the fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
  8. Assemble Punch: Right before guests arrive, pour the chilled spiced base into the punch bowl.
  9. Add Fizz: Slowly pour in the well-chilled Sparkling Apple Cider or Ginger Ale. Stir gently to maintain the carbonation.
  10. Garnish: Float the orange slices, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprigs on top. Add ice as needed.
  11. Serve: Ladle immediately and enjoy this festive Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch!