I don't know whether it's the floating fruit or the fizz, but Fruit Punch has always been a particularly refreshing and fun way to wash down party food. And for those catering, it's such a quick, simple and festive way to get the drinks menu sorted.
As a kid, I'd always make a beeline for the punch bowl at parties (then quickly make my way to the mock chicken, devon rolls and pavlova). What kid didn't love the novelty of scooping out the punch and trying to get plenty of fruit into those dainty little punch cups?
Back then, the punch itself was also wonderful. Sweet, fruity and fizzy. This recipe comes straight from my memories of enjoying this delicious drink at big family gatherings in the 1980s.
Jump to:
Finding a punch bowl
Sure, you can use a large glass bowl, a trifle bowl, a glass pitcher or a jug to serve punch. But I reckon it just tastes better in an old-fashioned punch bowl.
You can still buy them from specialty kitchen stores and Kmart has a low-cost version. My recommendation, though, is to ask your older family members and friends to find out if anyone has one tucked away that they haven't used for a decade or two. Or, head to an op shop – I often spot some fabulous punch bowls that can be bought with loose change.
TIP: Make sure your punch bowl has all the extras – the cups, the cup hooks (to hang the cups around the bowl) and the ladle (a large scoop to pour the punch into the cups).
Ingredient notes
This is a non-alcoholic punch – though I do suggest how you could easily make it an alcoholic punch below. It does, however, contain everything else you'd generally expect to find in a punch recipe:
- juice: I've used pineapple juice here, but cranberry, mango and pine-orange are other favourites
- sweet soft drink: lemonade works great, but other fruit-based soft drinks would also work well
- something a little spicy: dry ginger ale has been added here, though other recipes use tea or add in some spices such as nutmeg or ginger
- fruit: canned fruit salad and sliced strawberries are my fruits of choice for punch, but you could add whatever fruits you love
- ice: the final, and essential (if you want to keep it cool), part of punch.
The ingredient list and quantities are located in the recipe card at the end of this post. This recipe makes about 4 litres of punch, but you can adjust the quantities depending on the size of your bowl or the number of people you are catering for.
What, no alcohol?
Nope - this one is kid-friendly. You can easily change that by adding some champagne, sparkling moscato... or get serious with some rum, vodka or other spirits.
How to make punch
Short version:
Just chuck everything in the punch bowl and serve.
Long version:
Make sure your punch bowl is sparkling clean before you start and will hold the volume of punch you're making. This recipe makes about 4 litres of punch, which is enough to fill a standard-sized punch bowl.
Also, make sure all the ingredients are refrigerated first.
Wash the strawberries, remove the hulls and then slice them up finely (see image 1). You'll also need to drain the liquid from canned fruit salad (see image 2).
Add the cold lemonade, ginger ale and pineapple juice to the punch bowl (see images 3, 4 and 5).
Add the fruit salad, strawberry slices and ice (see images 6, 7 and 8).
Serve immediately.
Top punch-making tips
When making punch, keep these things in mind:
- Make sure you know the volume your punch bowl will hold and adjust the recipe accordingly if necessary.
- Punch recipes are versatile, and you can easily change up the ingredients to suit your tastes or what ingredients you have on hand.
- Make sure you refrigerate the ingredients well before making the punch so they are nice and cold.
- Make it up immediately before serving – you don't want it to lose its fizz!
- You can add ice to the punch bowl or have it in a separate bowl to be added to individual cups.
More refreshing drink options
Want more popular party drinks? Check out these:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Fruit Punch
Equipment
- punch bowl (4 litre capacity)
Ingredients
- 1.1 litres lemonade (cold, straight from the fridge)
- 1 litre ginger ale (cold, straight from the fridge)
- 1 litre pineapple juice (cold, straight from the fridge)
- 700 grams canned fruit salad
- handful strawberries
- 2 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- Wash strawberries, remove hull and slice finely.
- Drain liquid from canned fruit salad.
- Add lemonade, ginger ale and pineapple juice to the punch bowl.
- Add fruit salad, strawberry slices and ice.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you know the volume your punch bowl will hold and adjust the recipe accordingly if necessary.
- Punch recipes are versatile, and you can easily change up the ingredients to suit your tastes or what ingredients you have on hand. Add some sparkling white wine or rum to make the alcoholic version.
- Make sure you refrigerate the ingredients well before making the punch so they are nice and cold.
- Make it up immediately before serving – you don't want it to lose its fizz!
- You can add ice to the punch bowl or have it in a separate bowl to be added to individual cups.
Libby Hakim
Such an easy and refreshing punch!