If you need a crowd-pleasing beverage for your next party, try this recipe for pomegranate cranberry punch. This deliciously sparkly and festive holiday punch is super easy to make (and drink)! Alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions are included!
Note: this post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 with new photos and improved instructions.
I love this champagne punch recipe because you only need a few ingredients, it only takes a few minutes to put together, and it looks really beautiful and festive! It's tart, a little bit sweet, and really refreshing.
This punch would be perfect for Christmas, New Year's Eve, or any fall or winter get-together. Plus, I've included instructions on how to make a non-alcoholic version, so everyone can enjoy this delicious drink!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Pomegranate juice: I used the POM Wonderful brand of pomegranate juice. This is 100% pomegranate juice and available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Of course feel free to use any brand you like, but I recommend using a 100% pomegranate juice rather than a "juice cocktail" so the pomegranate flavor really comes through.
- Cranberry juice cocktail: here, I actually did use the "cocktail" version, which is cranberry juice mixed with water and sugar. You can find 100% cranberry juice in the store, but I don't recommend that for this recipe. It would be way, way too sour! Alternatively, you could use a cranberry juice blend for a sweeter, less tart punch.
- Garnishes: to garnish, I used slices of lemon, pomegranate seeds, and sprigs of rosemary. Garnishing is optional but certainly festive! Feel free to use whatever garnishes you like. Orange slices would also look nice, or even mint leaves.
For the alcoholic pomegranate cranberry punch:
- Orange liqueur: there is only a small amount in the punch, so feel free to use whatever type you have on hand. I had Cointreau in my cabinet from my spicy margarita recipe so I used that (that margarita is delicious by the way, you have to try it!).
- Sparkling wine: I recommend using an inexpensive wine that you enjoy, since you are mixing it with other ingredients. I like using a brut, which means the sparkling wine is on the dry side, but not super-duper dry (just right in my opinion!). But, as I mentioned, this punch is a bit on the tart side. If you want a sweeter punch, try using a sweeter sparkling wine!
For the non-alcoholic punch:
- Flavored sparkling water and/or sparkling cider: to replace the wine, you can use all sparkling water for a less sweet punch, or all sparkling cider for a sweeter punch. I recommend using half cider and half sparkling water, this tasted the most like the original version and was my favorite! Orange, lime, or cranberry flavors are nice choices for the sparkling water.
Step by step photos
1. First of all, make sure the wine (or cider/sparkling water) and juices are well-chilled before you start.
Next, prep the garnishes. Slice the lemons (or oranges), and gather the pomegranate seeds. (Here is a nice tutorial on how to seed a pomegranate!) If using herbs, you can also cut them into sprigs.
2. Next, pour the chilled cranberry juice cocktail, pomegranate juice, and orange liqueur (for alcoholic version) into a pitcher or punch bowl.
3. Now, slowly pour in the sparkling wine (for alcoholic punch) or sparkling cider and/or flavored sparkling water (for non-alcoholic punch).
4. Finally, garnish the punch with the prepared garnishes. Serve the punch immediately, over ice.
Tips and tricks
Here are a few helpful tips to make this pomegranate cranberry punch the hit of your next party:
- Make sure your ingredients are super chilled. You want the sparkling wine (or sparkling water/cider!) and juices ice-cold before mixing together. This will keep the punch nice and refreshing for as long as possible during the party.
- Make the punch right before you are ready to serve. This will also help everything stay cold for longer, and will also ensure the punch keeps its delightful bubbles for as long as possible.
- To ice or not to ice? I like serving this punch over ice, but I prefer to place the ice in the cup and pour the punch over top, rather than adding ice directly to the punch. This way, the punch won't get watered down over the course of the party.
Recipe FAQs
If you're throwing a large party and are concerned the punch will lose its sparkle over the course of a long evening, here is what I recommend. First of all, follow my tips above (these include not adding ice directly to the punch, keeping the ingredients very cold, and making the punch right before serving).
Next, rather than using a double batch in a punch bowl, mix up a single batch in a pitcher, and keep ingredients on hand for a second batch. When the first pitcher is gone, just mix up a second batch. Because there are only a few ingredients, this should only take a minute or two. This way, the carbonation will stay fresher than if you made a double batch at the beginning of the evening.
This recipe makes just over 6 cups (1.4 L) of punch, not counting any garnishes. This is enough for eight 6-ounce servings. This amount is perfect for most regular-sized pitchers.
If you want to fill a punch bowl, you will need to double or triple the recipe. (The recipe card below has a button where you can easily scale the ingredients up by double or triple.)
Since punch bowls vary in size, it would be a good idea to double-check the capacity of the punch bowl you plan to use, just to make sure you have the right amount of punch to fill it.
Despite having a relatively high sugar content, cranberry juice cocktail and pomegranate juice both have a bold, tangy flavor. As such, the punch itself is quite tart. I enjoy this flavor; to my tastes it has a hint of sweetness but is rather bracing, refreshing, and very easy to drink!
If you don't enjoy tart beverages quite as much and want to mellow the flavor out a bit, you can use a sweet sparkling wine (such as demi-sec or doux). If you are making the non-alcoholic version, use all sparkling cider, rather than sparkling flavored water; this will sweeten the punch quite a bit.
You can also replace the cranberry juice cocktail with a cranberry juice blend, which still has the flavor of cranberries, but with a less tart finish.
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Pomegranate Cranberry Punch
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: drinks
- Method: mix
- Cuisine: American
Description
A super easy and festive party punch that's perfectly tart and a bit sweet. Can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic! This recipe makes enough for about 8 servings, to fill a larger punch bowl, make a double or triple batch!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) 100% pomegranate juice, chilled
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) cranberry juice cocktail, chilled (see note 2)
- optional garnishes: pomegranate seeds, lemon slices, orange slices, rosemary and/or mint sprigs (see note 3)
For alcoholic punch, you will also need:
- 750 ml champagne or sparkling wine (one standard sized bottle), chilled (see note 4)
- ¼ cup (59 ml) orange liqueur
For non-alcoholic punch, you will also need:
- 3 cups (710 ml) flavored sparkling water and/or sparkling cider, chilled (see note 5)
Instructions
Alcoholic version: In a punch bowl or pitcher, mix together the pomegranate juice, cranberry juice cocktail and orange liqueur. Slowly pour in the champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, lemon or orange slices, and/or herb sprigs. Serve immediately over ice.
Non-alcoholic version: In a punch bowl or pitcher, mix together the pomegranate juice and cranberry juice cocktail. Slowly pour in the flavored sparkling water and/or sparkling cider. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, lemon or orange slices, and/or herb sprigs. Serve immediately over ice.
Notes
- This punch recipe will make about 6 cups (1.4 L), or eight 6-ounce (177 ml) servings. A single batch is a good size to fill a pitcher. To fill a punch bowl, you will need to double or triple the recipe, depending on the size of the punch bowl.
- For a sweeter, less tart punch, use a cranberry juice blend instead of cranberry juice cocktail.
- If you are serving the punch in a pitcher, you will only need about 1 lemon (or orange) and about ¼ - ½ cup of pomegranate seeds (about ¼ - ½ of a pomegranate) for garnish. If doubling or tripling the recipe and serving in a punch bowl, you will need about 3 - 4 lemons/oranges, and between 1 and 1 ½ cups of pomegranate seeds to cover the surface.
- The flavor of this punch is more tart and refreshing, rather than sweet. To complement the tart flavor, I like using brut sparkling wine, which has a low sugar content. However, if you prefer a sweeter punch, you can use a sweeter sparkling wine, such as demi-sec or doux.
- For the non-alcoholic version, you need 3 cups (710 ml) total of sparkling cider and/or sparkling flavored water. For a sweeter punch, use all sparkling cider; a standard sized bottle is about 3 cups. For a less sweet, more tart punch, use all flavored sparkling water. Or, you can use half cider and half sparkling water for a well-balanced option (not too sweet or sour!). You can use any flavor of sparkling water you like. Lemon, lime, or cranberry would be good choices!
- The nutrition information below is an estimate of the alcoholic version of the punch. This estimate is provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe
- Calories: 147
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.26 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: pomegranate cranberry punch, pomegranate punch, cranberry punch
Kate
The mix between pomegranate and cranberry was amazing! Will certainly make this again!
★★★★★
Kate
Kate I am so happy that you enjoyed the punch, thank you for your comment! 🙂