Pink Citrus Punch, deemed Christmas Punch in our family, combines the flavors of pineapple, orange, lemon, and cherry for a pink, festive drink perfect for a celebration! This punch is great for baby or bridal showers too.
I have always loved punch, especially punch with orange sherbet. It's like having a dessert and a drink in one. Punch reminds me of holidays and special occasions (like this Witches Brew Punch we have every Halloween).
When I was a kid, I was looking through my mom's recipe cards and found a punch recipe. I immediately asked her if we could make it for Christmas Eve, where we were hosting a party with appetizers and party food.
I started calling this punch Christmas Punch, and the name stuck. We have had this punch every Christmas Eve since, and we serve the leftover punch (if there is any!) on Christmas Day. Our family has also served this punch at Bridal and Baby Showers because of it's pretty pink color, so Pink Citrus Punch seems more fitting a title.
We keep this punch non-alcoholic for the kids, but each adult is welcome to add alcohol to his/her own cup. Amaretto is a popular choice, and I think a clear rum would work well too.
Recipe Details
As with most punch recipes, this couldn't be easier. I like to mix the punch in a punch bowl, but you could use any large bowl or container.
First, the water, cherry Kool Aid Mix, sugar, orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, and pineapple juice are stirred together until the sugar dissolves. You may think this recipe already has so much sugar from the juice that you do not need the extra sugar. The purpose of the sugar is to complete the cherry Kool Aid recipe: mix, sugar, and water. We have tried cutting down on the sugar before, and it's just not as good. You can always play around with the amount of sugar to suit your taste.
Once the sugar is dissolved, the sherbet is scooped on top. Then the ginger ale is poured around and on top of the scoops. Gently stir the punch, and serve.
Leftover Punch
We pour the leftover punch from Christmas Eve into a pitcher and refrigerate it. For many years when my sister and I were kids, my mom would serve the leftover punch in glasses with our Christmas morning breakfast. We would add some fresh sherbet and ginger ale to revive it.
Now that my sister and I have our own families, I save the leftover punch to serve on Christmas Day in the afternoon when we gather at my house to open gifts. Now that my sister is married, she spends Christmas Eve with her husband's family, so she looks forward to having the leftover punch!
📖 Recipe
Pink Citrus Punch
Ingredients
- 1 package cherry Kool Aid
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate (½ can)
- 3 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate (¼ can)
- 23 ounces canned pineapple juice (½ large can)
- 2 quarts water (8 cups )
- 7 ounces ginger ale (or more to taste)
- ½ quart orange sherbet
Instructions
- Combine the first 6 ingredients in a punch bowl and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Scoop the orange sherbet onto the surface of the punch.
- Pour the ginger ale over and around the sherbet to make a nice, bubbly foam. Add more sherbet and ginger ale to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
Karen says
This was a big hit for my daughter's birthday party, so easy to make. Thanks!
Meghan says
Love it! Such a pretty color for a birthday party!