Originally published in the Winter 2019-2020 issue of Spoke+Blossom

Sparkling Winter Citrus Punch

The winter season calls for celebrations, and a big bowl or pitcher of punch is an eye-catching necessity at any holiday party. Punch is easy to prepare in advance and allows for self-service bartending when you’re otherwise occupied in the kitchen — or when you’d rather spend more time with your guests than sling cocktails behind the bar.
This sparkling, citrus punch is lively, herbaceous and balanced. It reminds me of holidays growing up in Central Florida, where the winter citrus is varied and abundant this time of year. Get creative with this recipe and look for Cara Cara oranges, tangerines or clementines for the juice component. Winter is the perfect time to try other in-season varieties and go beyond the basic orange.

MAKES 18 TO 20 SERVINGS

FOR THE THYME SYRUP

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 to 4 sprigs of thyme

FOR THE ICE MOLD

2 to 3 clementines (or other seasonal citrus), sliced

12 whole star anise pods

5 to 6 sprigs of thyme or sage leaves

Water for the ice mold

FOR THE PUNCH

24 ounces (roughly a 750-mL bottle)

dry white wine, like Chardonnay

12 ounces citrus vodka

24 ounces fresh tangerine juice

(or other seasonal citrus juice)

6 ounces thyme simple syrup

3 ounces fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 ounces soda water or dry,

sparkling wine, to taste

10 to 12 fresh thyme springs, for garnish

3 to 4 clementines (or other seasonal citrus)

Ice for the individual cocktail glasses

For the thyme simple syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water and thyme. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat, let steep for at least 10 minutes, discard solids, and let cool completely.

For the punch:

1. In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the white wine, citrus vodka, clementine or tangerine juice, thyme syrup, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir until incorporated and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy. You can even make this portion of the cocktail a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator; just give the mixture a good stir before serving.

2. When you’re ready to serve the punch, fill your pitcher or punch bowl with the chilled cocktail mixture and top with the desired amount of either soda water or dry, sparkling wine. Give the mixture a stir and taste for balance, adding a little more bubbles, if desired. Carefully add the ice mold.

3. Prep individual cocktail glasses with decorative ice, top with punch, and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

NOTES

• Prepare the ice mold the night before to ensure thorough freezing, using a bundt pan or a freezer-safe Pyrex bowl, like I did here. Definitely make sure your ice mold fits inside your punch bowl!

• Chill the punch ingredients to avoid diluting the recipe and melting the ice mold too quickly. Just wait to add the seltzer or sparkling wine until you’re ready to serve.

Sparkling Winter Citrus Punch