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    » Home » Recipes » Winter Drink Recipes » Citrus Punch

    Citrus Punch

    Posted: Dec 18, 2020 · Updated: Dec 18, 2020 by Jenny McGruther · This site earns income from ads, affiliate links, and sponsorships.

    Pinterest pin how to make citrus punch

    Sweetened with honey and infused with herbs, this citrus punch is full of flavor and has a deliciously vibrant note.  It takes almost no time to make, and it's packed with flavor.

    Jump to Recipe | What is it? | What's in it? | Tips | Variations

    Three glasses of citrus punch garnished with lemon and rosemary.

    What is it?

    Punch is a drink that mixes fruit juices with a sweetener, spices, and alcohol. Linguists believe that the English word punch comes from the Hindi word pañca which means five - a reference to the five essential ingredients in punch: water (or tea), spices, a sweetener, lemon, or lime juice, and alcohol (1, 2).

    This recipe is often remembered by the simple rhyme: One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, and four of weak. This omits the spice component in a traditional punch,

    What's in it?

    This version of citrus punch includes all five elements of traditional punch, and it begins with a strong infusion of spices and herbs, a touch of honey, citrus juices, and both orange-flavored liqueur and sparkling white wine.

    • Juniper is a spice that comes from the cypress family, and it's the leading flavor in gin. As a bitter spice, it supports digestion, and it is also rich in antioxidants. (3)
    • Coriander tastes bright and citrusy, complementing the flavor of the citrus juices in this punch recipe. Like juniper, there's a bitter edge to coriander and that bitterness supports digestion. It also is rich in plant compounds that combat inflammation and oxidative stress. (4)
    • Rosemary is similarly bitter, with a vibrant herbal perfume that's a natural match for citrus. As a bitter herb, it supports digestion, but research also links rosemary to better cognitive health - especially used in culinary amounts over time. (5,6)
    • Bay leaf complements rosemary and citrus. It gives the punch a subtle, but heady herbal undertone. Like many herbs, bay is rich in antioxidants (7).
    • Citrus juice gives the punch both its sour notes while also acting as the weak (or nonalcoholic) component. We add a mix of lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange juice.
    • Honey lends a little sweetness to this recipe, and its floral notes complements the herbs and spices. Look for orange blossom honey for this recipe, although any honey will do.
    • Orange flower water lifts the recipe with a lovely, complex floral note that brings the herbs, spices, and citrus into balance. You can find it at well-stocked grocers as well as in markets specializing in Levantine and Southwest Asian cookery.
    • Orange-flavored liqueur can be either cointreau or Grand Marnier, as you like it.
    • Sparkling white wine can be prosecco, cava, or whatever you happen to like.

    Where to Get Herbs

    This recipe calls for juniper berries, coriander, rosemary, and bay leaf. You can often find them in well-stocked natural grocers, but we order ours online from Mountain Rose Herbs.

    > Order herbs online here
    mortar filled with coriander, juniper, bay leaf, and rosemary

    Tips

    While this citrus punch recipe includes a long list of ingredients, making the punch is simple and effortless. You'll begin by infusing the herbs into water, and then mixing that infusion with honey, citrus juices, and alcohol. Here's a few tips to keep in mind.

    • Start the herbal infusion with cold water. You'll begin by boiling the herbs to make a decoction (which is a type of herbal infusion), and they'll release their compounds more readily if you start add the herbs when the water is cold. That means bigger (and better) flavor.
    • Add the honey to the infusion when it is still hot, that way it will dissolve better and with less effort.
    • Use fresh-pressed citrus juice. While you can buy bottled juices, fresh-pressed juice means a more vibrant and more nuanced flavor. And that means a delicious punch.
    • Use up to four cups citrus juice. This recipe calls for a blend of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit juices, but you can adjust this to suit your preferences and what's available to you. Pomelo and tangerine juices are delicious additions.
    Rate this Recipe
    12 servings

    Citrus Punch

    This citrus punch tastes sweet, tart, and boozy all at once with undertones of juniper, coriander, rosemary, and bay. It's just as good at your next party as it is for a simple brunch.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Click to Remove Ads

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon juniper berries
    • 1 teaspoon coriander seed
    • 3 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
    • 3 medium bay leaves
    • 1 cup cold water
    • ¾ cup honey
    • ¼ cup lime juice (from about 2 limes)
    • ¼ cup lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
    • 1 ½ cups orange juice (from about 4 oranges)
    • 2 cups grapefruit juice (from about 3 grapefruit)
    • 1 tablespoon orange flower water
    • ¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
    • 1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling white wine (such as cava or prosecco)
    • ice (to serve)

    Equipment

    • citrus juicer
    • Medium Saucepan
    • Fine-mesh Sieve

    Instructions

    Make the herb decoction.

    • Spoon the juniper berries, coriander seeds, rosemary, and bay into a saucepan, and then cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half - about 15 minutes.
    • Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jar or pitcher, discarding the solids, and then stir in the honey until it dissolves completely. Allow the honey mixture to cool to room temperature.

    Mixing the citrus.

    • Pour the lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit juices into a large pitcher. Stir in the reserved honey-mixture, and then add the orange flour water. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a punch bowl or serving pitcher.

    Adding the alcohol.

    • Pour the orange-flavored liqueur and the sparkling white wine into the citrus juices, and serve over ice.
    Rate this recipe!If you loved this recipe, give it a rating. Let us know what works, what didn't and whether you made any adjustments that can help other cooks.

    Variations

    Swap the citrus. Try pomelo juice in place of grapefruit juice, and tangerine juice in place of orange.

    Skip the alcohol by replacing the sparkling white wine with sparkling apple cider or sparkling water, and omit the orange-flavored liqueur in favor of ½ teaspoon orange extract.

    Use kombucha or water kefir in place of the alcohol for a version that's rich in microbiome-supporting beneficial bacteria.

    Switch the herbs. You can swap juniper berries for a spoonful of cardamom pods, and replace the bay leaf and rosemary with vanilla bean, star anise, and cinnamon if you prefer.


    Try these other herb-forward drinks>>

    • Mulled Cider
    • Cherry Cordial
    • Wassail
    • Hibiscus Syrup

    References

    1. Punch. The Online Eytmology Dictionary. (2020)
    2. S. Kamar. (2020) Loanwords: Major Periods of Borrowing in the History of English.
    3. Tang, J., Dunshea, F. R., & Suleria, H. (2019). LC-ESI-QTOF/MS Characterization of Phenolic Compounds from Medicinal Plants (Hops and Juniper Berries) and Their Antioxidant Activity. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
    4. Tsui, P. F., Lin, C. S., Ho, L. J., & Lai, J. H. (2018). Spices and Atherosclerosis. Nutrients
    5. Pengelly A., et al. (2012) Short-term study on the effects of rosemary on cognitive function in an elderly population. J Med Food. 2012
    6. Moss, M., Smith, E., Milner, M., McCready, J. (2018) Acute ingestion of rosemary water: Evidence of cognitive and cerebrovascular effects in healthy adults. J Psychopharmacol.
    7. Simić, M., Kundaković, T., Kovacević, N. (2003) Preliminary assay on the antioxidative activity of Laurus nobilis extracts. Fitoterapia.
    « Rosemary Shortbread
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda R. says

      December 29, 2022 at 7:53 am

      This looks wonderfully unique! And thank you for including non-alcoholic variations as well! This way the kids and any adult wishing to abstain may enjoy the delicious drink as well! One question, I'm guessing (from the photos) the bay leaves you use are fresh? I have all the other herbs that are called for in my pantry, bit only dried bay leaves and they have proved hard for me to find them fresh.. do you have any recommendations for a substitute or could dried bay leaves work? Would you change the amount? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jenny McGruther says

        December 30, 2022 at 8:50 am

        Hi Amanda,

        You can definitely use dried bay leaf, and use the same amount. It's a 1:1 ratio in all my recipes.

    2. Eileen Shannon says

      December 28, 2021 at 7:48 am

      I can’t wait to try this recipe and a few others that are linked here! I just wanted to add that I LOVE that you included references/sourcing for everything! Thank you for all of this!

      Reply

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