The Thanksgiving Punch Everyone Will Ask You to Make Again
Every holiday gathering deserves a signature drink, especially one that doesn’t require the host to spend the evening shaking individual cocktails.
This Thanksgiving punch combines crisp apple cider, tart cranberry, spicy ginger beer and fresh citrus in one colourful, crowd-friendly drink. Apples, cranberries and rosemary make it look impressive with almost no actual decorating required.
You can make it with Canadian whisky for the adults or keep it alcohol-free and allow guests to choose their own adventure.
Consider this the official drink of Canadian Thanksgiving.
Apple Cranberry Thanksgiving Punch
Makes: Approximately 10–12 drinks
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: At least one hour
Ingredients
4 cups cold non-alcoholic apple cider
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ cups Canadian whisky, optional
3 cups cold ginger beer (we love Ginger Bug!)
1 large apple, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Lots of ice
Instructions
In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice and lemon juice.
For the alcoholic version, stir in the Canadian whisky.
Add the apple and orange slices, cranberries and rosemary. Refrigerate for at least one hour to chill and allow the flavours to mingle.
Just before serving, add the ginger beer and stir gently. Adding it at the last minute keeps the punch bubbly.
Add ice directly to the punch bowl, or fill individual glasses with ice before pouring. Garnish each drink with fruit from the bowl and a small sprig of rosemary.
A quick cider clarification: Look for non-alcoholic apple cider in the refrigerated juice section, not apple cider vinegar and not hard cider.
The non-alcoholic version
Simply leave out the whisky. The apple cider, cranberry, citrus and ginger beer still create a complete drink rather than something that feels like the “kids’ version.”
If you’d like a little more fizz, add two cups of sparkling water along with the ginger beer.
Be sure to check that the ginger beer you’re using is non-alcoholic. Most supermarket varieties are, but it’s always worth reading the label.
Serving adults and children from the same batch?
Prepare the punch without alcohol and place a bottle of Canadian whisky beside it. Adults can add approximately one ounce to their individual glass before topping it with punch (or however much their heart desires!).
This approach prevents accidental mix-ups and gives every guest control over the strength of their drink. It also means you only need to prepare one punch bowl.
Make it ahead
This is the best part! Combine the apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice and lemon juice up to one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Slice the fruit and add it a few hours before serving. Wait until immediately before guests arrive to add the ginger beer, rosemary and ice.
Make it look exceptionally pretty
This punch already has the colour working in its favour, but a few details will make it Insta-worthy:
Freeze cranberries in an ice cube tray to create decorative ice.
Use a mix of red and green apple slices.
Serve it in a clear pitcher or glass punch bowl.
Add several short rosemary sprigs rather than one enormous branch.
Garnish each glass with a thin apple fan or orange wheel.
Prefer bubbles over whisky?
For a lighter, sparkling version, omit the Canadian whisky and add one bottle of chilled dry sparkling wine immediately before serving.
Use a dry wine rather than a sweet one as the cider, cranberry juice and fruit already bring plenty of sweetness.
It’s colourful, bubbly and just festive enough without tasting like a holiday candle. Even better, nearly everything can be prepared before guests arrive.
Make it once and there’s a very good chance you’ll be assigned Thanksgiving punch duty for years to come.