Cranberry-Tequila Punch

Happy Halloween! If you’re having friends over to celebrate this year, consider making this pretty orange-tinted autumn punch, which will stay cold all evening long thanks to a fruit-filled ice ring made from apple and cranberry juices. You can use a mix of citrus slices—lemon, lime blood orange—instead of only orange, or you can use apple slices in place of the citrus.

 

Cranberry-Tequila Punch

 

Ingredients

 

• 6 cups (48 fl. oz./1.5 l) apple juice, chilled
• 6 cups (48 fl. oz./1.5 l) low-sugar cranberry cocktail, chilled
• 1 large orange, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) reposado tequila
• 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 2 bottles (each 750 ml) sparkling wine, such as prosecco
• 18 fresh rosemary sprigs, each threaded with 3 cranberries

Directions

 

1. To make the ice ring, pour 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the apple juice and 1 cup of the cranberry cocktail into an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) Bundt pan or ring mold. Add half of the orange slices in a single layer, then half of the cranberries. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours. Add the remaining orange slices and cranberries to the mold. Fill with 1 cup of the apple juice and 1 cup of the cranberry cocktail. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.

 

2. In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together the remaining 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) apple juice, 4 cups cranberry cocktail, the tequila, orange liqueur and sparkling wine. Remove the ring mold from the freezer and invert onto a plate. Run the bottom of the mold under warm water until the ice ring releases. Slide the ice ring, fruit side up, into a large punch bowl. Fill the bowl with the punch.

 

3. To serve, ladle the punch into rocks or coupe glasses and garnish each with a cranberry-threaded rosemary sprig. Serves about 18.

 

 

 

For updates of our favorite classic cocktails infused with today’s fresh ingredients, check out our book Cocktails: Modern Favorites to Make at Home, by the cooks of the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen.