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This Thanksgiving punch is vibrant and tastes irresistibly light and fruity! Pomegranate juice and citrus make magic in this drink that’s perfect for serving a crowd.
Here’s a punch recipe that caught us by surprise…because it’s even more delicious than it looks. This ruby red Thanksgiving Pomegranate Punch stars pomegranate Juice and fresh citrus with a hint of maple syrup. It’s our favorite pomegranate juice to use in drinks and cocktails.
Take one sip and it’s light, fruity, bubbly, and sweet tart: a true burst of refreshing flavors! Spike it or drink it non-alcoholic: either way, you won’t be able to stop sipping it (we couldn’t!).
Ingredients for Thanksgiving punch
This Thanksgiving pomegranate punch is all about flavor and color! For entertaining recipes, you’ll want a stunning look and flavor: and this recipe delivers both. That eye-popping color of the juice is beautiful and adds a big burst of sweet tart flavor. It’s a great alternative to punch recipes that call for sodas or added sweeteners! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pomegranate Juice
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Soda water or club soda
- Maple syrup
- Bourbon, brandy or white rum (optional; see more below!)
Using pomegranate juice in cocktails
Pomegranate juice is ideal for cocktails because of its sweet tart flavor and antioxidant goodness. Here’s why we love it:
- It’s 100% juice. Most bottles of pomegranate juice contain no added sugar, fillers or preservatives.
- The flavor is ideal for elevating cocktails. A little sweet and a little tart, it adds a unique burst of flavor to any drink recipe.
- It adds antioxidants. Cocktails with pomegranate juice harness the antioxidant power of pomegranates.
Use bourbon, brandy, or rum
Another great thing about this Thanksgiving pomegranate punch? You can make it with various types of liquor, and it tastes different with each. Here are our favorites, in order of preference:
- Brandy: The fruity flavor of brandy is true perfection with the sweet tart pomegranate juice! This was Alex’s idea and while I doubted it at first, it was the clear winner. It complements the lightness of the fruit flavors perfectly!
- Bourbon: Bourbon adds a cozier, warmer vibe and it’s more alcohol-forward. This one is ideal for bourbon lovers.
- Rum: We can’t resist a good rum punch! White rum melds into the flavors and highlights the lighter characteristics of the pomegranate punch.
Make it spiked or non alcoholic
This Thanksgiving pomegranate punch works spiked or non-alcoholic. It’s also customizable for both if you have people spike the drink after they ladle it out of the bowl. This offers the most flexibility, especially when serving kids and adults avoiding alcohol. You can essentially serve both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic punch at the same time!
- Add the liquor right to the punch bowl. If everyone’s drinking, this is the way to go.
- Or, spike the drink after ladling it out! The most versatile way to make Thanksgiving punch is to spike the drink after you ladle it out of the punch bowl. The best ratio is 1 ounces liquor to 6 ounces (¾ cup) punch.
- Or, make it as a non-alcoholic punch! It’s just as good (really). In fact, we almost prefer it non-alcoholic: it’s so fruity and light.
Another fun Thanksgiving cocktail? Try a pitcher of Thanksgiving sangria!
Thanksgiving Punch
This pomegranate Thanksgiving punch is vibrant and tastes irresistibly light and fruity! Pomegranate juice and citrus make magic.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Punch
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 48 ounces 100% pomegranate juice (6 cups)
- 2 large lemons, squeezed into juice (½ cup)
- 4 to 5 large navel oranges, squeezed into juice (2 cups)
- 24 ounces soda water (3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 16 ounces bourbon, brandy or white rum, optional (2 cups)*
- For the garnish: pomegranate arils (seeds), mint, star anise, orange and lemon slices
Instructions
- Place all ingredients together in a serving bowl, adding the soda water last.
- Top with garnishes and serve. (As a note, pomegranate arils sink to the bottom of a punch bowl. To keep them on top before serving, gently balance them on top of citrus wedges. They’ll settle to the bottom during serving.)
Notes
*You can also add the alcohol by the glass, so it works as non-alcoholic and alcoholic. Measure out 6 ounces (¾ cup) punch, then add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) liquor of choice. Brandy was our favorite here: it makes the ideal light and fruity flavor. Bourbon is darker and cozier, and rum is on the lighter end.
More pomegranate cocktails
There are so many ways to use pomegranate juice in cocktails! Here are a few more pomegranate drinks we love:
- Mix it with tequila for a Pomegranate Margarita
- Grab vodka for a Pomegranate Cosmo or Pomegranate Martini
- Try a bubbly Pomegranate Mimosa
Looks beautiful and delicous! I’m making it tomorrow evening for a party. Do you serve it chilled with ice in the punch bowl? Thank you!
Sorry we missed the party, but we chill all ingredients first and serve without ice.
This was delicious! Made it for a baby shower and it was a hit with both kids and adults. Will make again and again. Thanks for sharing!
What’s your recommended brandy for this?
We just used Korbel brandy and it was great.
lovely! and lots of anti-oxidants in the Pomegranate Arils and juice, so it’s kinda healthy even with alcohol, love how beautifully red it is too, thank you!
Let us know if you have any questions!
It is a boy bountiful punch unspiked for the whole family. The colors of the fruit garnishing the punch bowl are both autumn and bountiful. Pomegranate punch is the perfect beverage for our thanksgiving table. We did a small batch without alcohol and everyone loved it.