Champagne Punch with Raspberry and Orange Liqueur
New Years Eve is just around the corner, so today I offer you mass quantities of a favorite champagne cocktail… Champagne Punch with Raspberry and Orange Liqueur.
New Years Eve, a day to remissness on the past year’s experiences and celebrate the unknown ahead.
When Lt. Dan and I were first married, we used to plan elaborate New Years Eve parties, or sometimes head out to peruse the bustling events around town until the wee hours of the morning.
Nowadays, we often plan a small casual party with friends that also have kids. The kids live-it-up with new Christmas toys, games, and movies, while we grownups live-it-up with funny stories, lavish party dishes, and champagne punch.
(This may sound sad to you youngsters, but I actually prefer it this way.)
Champagne punch is not only a practical beverage to serve on such an event, It’s easy on the eyes as well.
This year try mixing up my last McCormick Seasonal Seven recipe, a large bowl of champagne punch that everyone can enjoy. It sure beats spending the evening making one champagne cocktail after another.
This particular punch is bright and fruity, with two fruit liqueurs and a fresh fruit garnish.
I combined brut (dry) champagne with a pale fruit juice, then mixed in raspberry liqueur and orange liqueur. I then garnished the bowl with fresh raspberries, orange slices, and fresh ginger slices for a kick.
What really sets off this champagne cocktail is the ginger sugar rim around the glasses.
I made a little simple syrup, and mixed McCormick ground ginger with sugar. Then I dipped the rim of each punch cup in simple syrup followed by the ginger mixture to create an elegant frosty rim.
The touch of heat from the ginger sugar, mixed with the fruity sweetness of the champagne punch is a lovely combination.
I may not be sporting an elegant cocktail dress this New Year’s Eve, but I will certainly be serving up an elegant champagne punch!
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Champagne Punch with Raspberry and Orange Liqueur
Ingredients:
- 6 Tb. sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp. McCormick ground ginger
- 2 - 750 ml bottles brut champagne
- 32 oz. white cranberry peach cocktail (or white grape juice)
- 1/2 cup raspberry liqueur
- 1/2 cup orange liqueur (like La Belle Orange or Solerno Blood Orange)
- 1 orange, sliced thin
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 5-6 fresh ginger slices
Directions:
- Chill the champagne and fruit juice.
- Mix 3 Tb. sugar with 2 Tb. water in a small bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. pour into a shallow dish. Then mix the remaining 3 Tb. of sugar with the ground ginger. Place in a separate shallow dish for dipping.
- In a large punch bowl, mix the champagne, juice and both liqueurs. Garnish with orange slices, raspberries and ginger slices.
- To serve, dip the rims of the punch glasses into the simply syrup. Then immediately dip them in the ginger sugar. Ladle the punch into the glasses and pass around. Cheers!