This alcohol-free Christmas punch is for the moment when the doorbell goes and you’re still in the kitchen. The apple, cranberry and lime can already be mixed in the fridge. When everyone’s ready for a drink, pour in the ginger ale and bring the jug to the table. You’ll get eight small glasses from one batch.
Apple juice softens the tart cranberry, lime keeps the sweetness in check, and ginger ale gives it a little warmth. It works as a welcome drink with a bowl of salted nuts or a plate of cheese straws while dinner finishes.
Alcohol-free Christmas punch ingredients
Serves 8 | Prep time 10 minutes | Makes about 1.45 litres
- 500 ml cloudy apple juice, chilled
- 400 ml cranberry juice drink, chilled
- 50 ml fresh lime juice, about 2 limes depending on size
- 500 ml ginger ale, chilled
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- Ice, to serve
Use cranberry juice drink for these quantities. If you’re using unsweetened pure cranberry juice, start with less and add more to taste. It’s much sharper, especially once the lime goes in.
How to make the punch
- Mix the base. Pour the apple juice, cranberry juice drink and lime juice into a jug. Stir and taste. The ginger ale will sweeten the finished drink, so a slightly tart base is fine.
- Chill it. Cover the jug and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. A two-litre jug gives you enough room for the ginger ale and orange slices.
- Add the fizz. Pour in the cold ginger ale, slide in a few orange slices and give it one gentle stir.
- Serve over ice. Put ice in the glasses so the punch left in the jug keeps its flavour as people come back for another pour.
Can you make alcohol-free Christmas punch the day before?
Yes. Mix the apple, cranberry and lime the night before and refrigerate the covered jug. Keep the ginger ale unopened and chilled. Slice the orange and add it when you’re ready to serve.
If guests are arriving in waves, split the base between two jugs. Finish the first with 250 ml of ginger ale and keep the second in the fridge. That way, people arriving later still get a freshly poured drink with some fizz.
How to make it less sweet
Taste a spoonful of the base with a splash of ginger ale before you finish the jug. If it’s sweeter than you like, swap half the ginger ale for chilled sparkling water. If you want more ginger bite, try replacing some of the ginger ale with a 0.0% ginger beer. Check the label if you’re serving someone who avoids alcohol completely.
If you’d prefer to serve something warm alongside it, FEAST has ideas for the hot drinks table too. FEAST’s festive alternatives to mulled wine
How much punch do you need for 16 guests?
Double the ingredients and use two jugs. The recipe makes eight glasses of about 180 ml each before ice, so a double batch covers one welcome drink per person for 16 guests. Keep the second jug’s ginger ale sealed until you need it, especially if you’re serving drinks over the course of an evening.
For a different flavour, Good Food has a version that uses sparkling apple juice and orange. Good Food’s non-alcoholic punch