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Autumn Punch

Autumn punch is a chilled American drink made with apple cider, cranberry juice, and orange juice, infused with cinnamon sticks and star anise for a warm spiced aroma. It’s finished with ginger ale or sparkling cider and a floating garnish of orange and apple slices for an amber-gold punch-bowl look.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple cider
  • 4 cup apple cider Base of the punch.
Cranberry juice
  • 2 cup cranberry juice Adds tart color and flavor.
Orange juice
  • 1 cup orange juice Brightens the drink.
Ginger ale or sparkling cider
  • 2 cup ginger ale or sparkling cider Add just before serving to keep it fizzy.
Maple syrup or honey
  • 0.25 cup maple syrup or honey Sweetens and balances acidity.
Orange
  • 1 orange Sliced for floating garnish.
Apple
  • 1 apple Thinly sliced for floating garnish.
Cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cinnamon sticks Warm spice infusion.
Star anise
  • 6 star anise Licorice-like spice aroma.
Fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprigs Herbal garnish for a festive look.
Ice or frozen ice ring
  • 1 ice or a frozen ice ring For serving, keeps the punch cold without diluting quickly.
Bourbon or dark rum (optional spiked version)
  • 2 cup bourbon or dark rum Add if making the spiked version.

Equipment

  • 1 punch bowl
  • 1 refrigerator

Method
 

Build the spiced punch
  1. In a large punch bowl or pitcher, combine apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice, and maple syrup or honey.
  2. Stir well, then add orange slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors, keeping the spices and fruit infused while the punch chills.
Finish and serve
  1. Just before serving, add ginger ale or sparkling cider and add ice or a frozen ice ring to keep the drink cold.
  2. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and extra fruit slices right before pouring.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the orange and apple thinly so they float evenly and release flavor throughout the 1-hour chill. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days, but add ginger ale/sparkling cider only when ready to serve to preserve bubbles. Freezing isn’t recommended because the fruit texture changes after thawing. For a lighter version, reduce maple syrup/honey to 2 tbsp or swap with an equal amount of sugar-free syrup if you want less sweetness.