Punch and Cocktails

Hot Spiced Cider Punch

Ingredients:
1 pint sweet cider
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 pint 7-Up (2 cups)
1 tbs. whole cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
3 sticks of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Tie spices in cloth bag. Put all ingredients into 2 qt. saucepan. Add spice bag, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove spice. Serves 8-10

How to make an ice mold:

Ingredients:
An ice mold that will fit inside the punch bowl
Water (filtered or distilled is recommended) or fruit juice
Fruit - strawberries, peach slices, grapes, lemon or lime slices, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, or mint leaves

Directions:

Step 1Fill your ice mold with 1/2-inch water or fruit juice.
Step 2Arrange your choice of fruit on top of the water and freeze. Be patient! If you try to add more water/juice before the first is frozen, your fruit is going to float around.
Step 3Once it is completely frozen, remove the ice mold from the freezer.
Step 4Add more water or juice, just enough to cover the fruit, and freeze again.
Step 5After it freezes a second time, remove the ice mold from the freezer, add enough water to fill the ice mold to the brim. Freeze again.
Step 6When you are ready to use the ice ring, dip the mold briefly in hot water to loosen the ice ring.
Step 7Invert the ice ring into the punch bowl, (with punch of course), and you're ready to serve!

This ice ring can either be used in a punch bowl to chill your punch, or as a centerpiece to a fruit salad platter. With either use, this is a very decorative, beautiful and useful ice ring.
Instead of the fruit you can use edible fresh flowers such as; violets, pansies, rose petals, nasturtiums, calendula, chive flowers and some fresh mint or other fresh leaves. Don't use ones that have had insecticides sprayed on them! Clean your flowers carefully under running water, making sure you remove any dirt or insects from each petal and leaf. Now put a layer of flowers and leaves in the bottom of your mold. The layer should be about 1 inch deep. While you need to be sure to put the flowers face down, arranging is not necessary, since they will float when you add the water.
Next add 1 ½ inches of water to your mold and place in the freezer for an hour or so, until solidly frozen. When frozen remove from freezer and add another 1 inch layer of flowers and leaves. Add more water, just to cover the layer and refreeze. Repeat this step until your mold is full or the ring is as deep as you would like it to be.
When you are ready to unmold your ring, fill your sink or a bowl with hot water and dip the bottom of your mold in the hot water for approximately 10 seconds. Shake this to see if your ring has loosened up. If so, invert your mold onto the platter that you have chosen to make your fruit ring. If your mold does not appear to have loosened enough to be removed, dampen a dish towel in hot water and place this over the inverted mold on the platter. Shake this gently to remove the ice ring from the mold.
Working as quickly as possible add your fruits to the platter. Several idea’s for fruits to be used are; melon balls, fresh berries, apple, peach or pear slices. This also looks attractive to add more flowers and leaves as a garnish. This should be served immediately, but can be refrigerated for a brief period of time.
If making punch, just make your punch slightly ahead of time, and unmold your ring carefully into the punch bowl. Using the same steps as mentioned above. You can also float a few more leaves and flowers directly into your punch. This floral ice ring will make any fruit platter or punch more attractive. And will also add table decorations right along with your food.

Alisa’s Wedding Punch

Ingredients:
2 Baccardi Strawberry mixes
1 bottle of Strawberry/Cranberry juice
2 Sweppes raspberry soda's
fresh or frozen strawberries

Directions:
Mix together and freeze until about 1-2 hours before use.

Dr. Durrence's Holiday Strawberry Punch

Ingredients:

3 qts. 7 Up
1/2 C lemon juice
1 C cranberry jice
1 48 ox. can Hawaiian Punch
1 10 oz. can frozen limeade
2 pints frozen strawberries

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Strawberries may be place in blender with cranberry jice to desired consistency, slushy. Serve over ice. May be mixed with vodka or gin for a real "punch"! Yield: about 24 servings.

Russian Tea

Ingredients:
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
1 (46 oz.) can orange juice
1 plastic squeeze lemon
6 quarts sweetened ice tea
cloves and cinnamon

Directions: Heat in large pot and add cloves and cinnamon to taste.

Dry Russian Tea

Ingredients:

1 C Tang
1 C instant tea with lemon
1 2/3 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1/2 t allspice

Directions:

Mix and store in jar. When ready to serve, add water to taste and heat.

Oprah's Pomegranate Martini

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
2 oz. Absolute Citron vodka OR white tequila
1 oz. Cointreau liquor
Cup of ice
Optional: Splash of sparkling water
Optional: Squeeze of lemon

Directions:
Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses. Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish.

Pineapple Party Punch
Yields: 24 servings

Ingredients:
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
3 cups water
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
1 liter ginger ale

Directions:
In a punch bowl, combine orange juice, water and pineapple juice; chill. Stir in ginger ale just before serving.

Sea Breeze Cocktail
Ingredients:
16 ounces vodka
30 ounces cranberry juice
12 ounces grapefruit juice
Ice cubes
Lime wedges, frozen

Directions:
Place the vodka and juices in a plastic container, cover with a lid and shake until combined. Fill each glass half full with ice and pour in the drink mixture. Place a frozen lime wedge in each glass and serve.

Citrus Punch
Ingredients:
2 12oz cans frozen lemonade
2 12oz cans frozen orange juice
2 46oz cans of pineapple juice
1 cup of sugar
6 cups of water
2 Litre Gingerale

Directions:
Mix all ingedients well then freeze for at least 12-14 hours are until frozen. Serve in punchbowl , pour gingerale in until slushy. Makesquite a bit.

Raspberry Sherbet Punch

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon Raspberry Sherbet
2 liters of Ginger Ale
2 cans frozen pink lemonade from concentrate

Directions:
Combine all together and serve.

Champagne Punch

Ingredients:
1 gal. Sauterne Wine
4 bottles (qt.) champagne
2 bottles (qt.) ginger ale
1/2 pt. sherbet
Ice cubes to chill

Directions:
Combine all together and serve.

Champagne Reception Punch
Ingredients:
5 pints (10 cups) fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice(chilled)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 bottle (4/5 quart) champagne or sparkling wine (with or without alcohol) chilled

Directions:
To make the strawberry ice cubes: At least 6 hours before party time, wash the berries. Place 1 small, pretty berry (with leafy hulls attached) in each compartment of 2 standard-size ice cube trays, then fill with water and freeze.
To prepare the punch: Remove the hulls from the remaining berries and place them in a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until pureed, then transfer to a punch bowl. Stir in the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and sugar; cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, pour in the champagne and float the strawberry ice cubes on top.
Makes about 2 quarts or 10 (6-ounce) servings.

Lime Punch
Ingredients:
1 3 oz. pkg. lime gelatin
2 C sugar
2 C boiling water
2 C lemon juice
2 46 oz. cans pineapple juice
1 12 oz. can frozen orange juice, thawed and undiluted
1/2 t liquid green food color
2 liter bottle ginger ale, chilled

Directions:
Combine first 3 ingredients in 1 1/2 gallon container, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and next 3 ingredients, stirring until blended. Cover and chill. Pour mixture into large punch bowl; gently stir in chilled ginger ale. Yield: 1 1/2 gallons

Coffee Rum Punch

Ingredients:
5 quarts strong coffee
4 C powdered milk
1 C sugar
2 C dark rum
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Make the coffee. While it is still hot, stir in powdered milk and sugar. After it cools, stir in rum. Cut away the ice cream box. Slice the block of ice cream into 3/4 inch slices. Cut each slice into six squares. To serve, pour cold coffee mixture into a punch bowl and float ice cream squares on top. Serve in punch cups. Replenish ice cream as needed. Yield: 45 punch cup servings

Mickey's Coffee Punch

Ingredients:
1 small jar instant coffee
2 C sugar
1 can Hershey's syrup
4 C boiling water
3 gallons of milk
1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Mix coffee, sugar and water. Keep in refrigerator until ready to put punch together. Stir the coffee mixture into the milk and pour over ice cream when ready to serve. Serves 75

Julie's Coffee Punch

Ingredients:
1/2 C instant coffee granules
1 C sugar
3/4 C hot water
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
3 quart milk
whipping cream
nutmeg

Directions:

Mix coffee, sugar, vanilla, and hot water to dissolve granules. Chill overnight. In punch bowl, combine softened ice cream, milk and coffee mixture. Top with whippped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 30 cups.

Cranberry Tea

Ingredients:
1 1/2 qt cranberry cocktail
1 C sugar
1/2 C red hots
12 whole cloves
1 qt. water
2 qt. water
1 large can frozen lemondade
1 large can frozen orange juice
1 small can pineapple juice

Directions:

Cook and stir the first 5 ingredients. Then add the rest of the ingredients.

Annie's Ice Tea

To make a pitcher of perfect Southern iced tea, place one bag or one teaspoon of loose tea leaves per glass in a nonreactive pot. Bring another large pot of fresh cold water to a boil, pour over the tea, cover, and let steep 10 minutes or until desired strength. Let cool, then either squeeze and discard the tea bags or strain the loose tea leaves while pouring the brewed tea into a large pitcher. Sweeten the tea to taste if desired, pour over ice in tall glasses, serve lemon wedges on the side, and sing "Dixie."

Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss
from Bon Appétit

Ingredients:
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup amaretto
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Ice cubes
Clementines, peeled, separated into segments

Directions:

Mix cranberry juice, vodka, amaretto, and orange juice in pitcher. Cover and chill until ready to serve. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.To make 2 drinks, fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in scant 1 cup vodka mixture. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into 2 Martini glasses. Garnish each with clementine segment. Repeat 3 times with ice cubes, remaining vodka mixture, and clementine segments.

Mimosa Punch
by Paula Deen

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can thawed orange juice concentrate
1 liter club soda
1 to 2 bottles sparkling wine

Directions:
Put 1 can cold but thawed orange juice concentrate into a punch bowl or in a large pitcher. Stir to soften. Stir in 4 cups cold club soda. Then add the sparkling wine and stir gently. Pour into Champagne flutes and serve.