Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch

You always need a non-alcoholic drink for a party, and this Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch is perfect for the holiday season and to toast the new year.

It's hard to believe the year is coming to a close. With Christmas this week and New Year's Eve next week, there's so much to celebrate.

Looking back at this year, this year it's been exciting and cathartic to get back into my blog, from creating new posts like Cranberry Prosciutto Crostini to re-photographing old posts like my Strawberry Lemonade Mocktail.

In fact, that mocktail is what got me thinking... I needed to make a non-alcoholic drink for the holidays! And that's how this Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch was born.

I served it to my small group during our Christmas party and everyone loved it!

Non-alcoholic holiday drinks

Whether you're having a boozy party like a Christmas Wine Party or something like a baby shower where you may not want to serve alcohol, it's always a good idea to keep a non-alcoholic option on hand.

No matter what type of party it is, there are so many types of party guests who cannot or may choose not to imbibe:

• kids & teens, of course!
• pregnant friends, or those with other medical reasons not to drink,
• the designated drivers,
• the sober & sober-curious,
• the ones who just don't want to!

Trust me: I love champagne, cocktails and sangria as much as the next person, but I've been the non-drinker at a party before and it's no fun when you're limited to sweet tea, coke or water and everyone else is sipping on something fun.

Having something besides plain water or cans of soda on hand for these folks to drink is inclusive and polite, but it can also be a great way to explore a new recipe or add another flavor profile to your menu.

Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch recipe

Featuring bubbly ginger ale and cranberry juice, this alcohol-free holiday punch is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's or any kind of gathering in between. (Honestly, with that red color, you could even serve it for Valentine's Day...)

It only has four ingredients:

• ginger ale
• cranberry juice
• pineapple juice
• frozen cranberries

This non-alcoholic punch is incredibly versatile if you don't have these things on hand or need to substitute because of an allergy.

To make it, you'll need a pitcher or punch bowl.

For glassware, you can use stemless wine glasses, champagne flutes or regular juice glasses. When I served this at a party, I used these plastic cups which were the perfect size.

You may also want to keep an ice bucket on hand, either for ice or frozen cranberries! I love this insulated ice bucket.

Ingredients, variations & substitutions

Here's what you will need to grab at the grocery store. I've also included ideas for subsititutions so you can make this non-alcohol New Years punch all your own.

ginger ale

Use your favorite brand of ginger ale here. Canada Dry and Seagram's are both common brands. I use Zevia ginger ale, which has zero added sugar or calories.

Cranberry flavored ginger ale would also add an extra punch of festive flavor!

Substitute: Use ginger beer instead of ginger ale for a zesty ginger kick. Ginger ale is sweeter, whereas ginger beer has a stronger ginger flavor while still providing some sweetness.

Sparkling cider or sparkling lemonade would also be great to add that bubbly quality.

If you'd like to make this punch alcoholic, you can use champagne or prosecco instead of ginger beer.

cranberry juice

Pure cranberry juice is what you want! You're looking for "unsweetened" and "100% cranberry juice" on the label. Skip the cranberry juice cocktail, which has lots of added sugar.

Substitute: A number of brands make combination flavors, like cherry-cranberry or blueberry-cranberry — any of these would be fun for extra flavor!

Pomegranate juice would also be really good. It's pricier, and it has a tarter flavor, but I bet it'd still be delicious.

pineapple juice

Pineapple juice is what gives this punch some tangy flavor. Make sure you grab 100% pineapple juice without added sweeteners, or this punch could get too sweet fast.

Substitute: Orange juice would work just fine! I'd go low on the pulp, personally. Fresh-squeezed is always a winner.

I did try this punch with lime juice, but it was too tart. The pineapple ended up being a perfect complement.

frozen cranberries, ice or sherbet

Frozen cranberries are perfect for ice that doesn't melt! Ice works just fine too.

Some people enjoy a cranberry ginger ale punch with sherbet. If you'd like to do that, double the recipe and serve it in a punch bowl. Scoop 2 pints of raspberry sherbet into the bowl when the party begins.

Sugared cranberries would also be a really pretty garnish!

alcohol

If you want to keep this a mocktail, go for it. Skip right along down to the recipe!

But if you want to have bottles of booze on hand so that people have both options and you don't have to make too kinds of drinks, that works too!

This punch is quite "spikeable," if anyone would like to add a bit of booze to their drink. Vodka, tequila and rum would both be great choices. You'll want to add about 1.5 ounces of alcohol per drink.

lime wedges

Garnishes are usually optional, but I think this cocktail could use some extra festive color! Red and green make feel like a Christmas punch.

You can also use sprigs of rosemary, mint or thyme for some natural green color. Or skip the green and go with orange slices for your garnish!

More mocktail recipes

You can never have too many virgin drink recipes up your sleeve, if you ask me!

This Spiced Cranberry Orange Mocktail is served warm, which makes it perfect for the holiday season.

In the spring and summer, I love one of these Blueberry Lemonade Mocktails or Peach Blackberry Lemonade Mocktails. Lemonade always makes for a delightful spring and summer sipper.

Similarly, no one would turn down a Virgin Margarita! These mocktails are great for everything from a traditional Mexican Christmas Dinner to Taco Tuesday!

A Rosemary Peach Mocktail can be made any time of year with peach puree, which you can find in the juice aisle or international aisle of the grocery store.

Let me know if you end up trying this alcohol-free ginger ale cranberry punch! Leave a comment or rate the recipe below.