Christmas and Punch – 3 Recipes for Christmas Punch

For many people, punch is simply a part of Christmas and the cold season. We have put together three recipe ideas that you can use to easily prepare the warming drink at home.

A classic red wine punch for Christmas

In the cold season and over the holidays, hot drinks warm the body and soul. Punch is particularly popular. There are innumerable variants of it. This also includes real classics such as the red wine punch.

• For this punch recipe, you need 2 bottles of red wine, each 750ml. The other ingredients are 100 ml brown rum, 250 g brown sugar, 2-3 sticks of cinnamon, 6 cloves and 2 untreated oranges and lemons.
• Wash the citrus fruits thoroughly. Cut a lemon and an orange into thin slices, the other two fruits are squeezed. Put the juice of the squeezed fruit in a saucepan.
• Fill the pot with the wine and add the sugar, citrus slices, and spices. The liquid is now heated, but must not boil. Allow the punch to steep on the hot stovetop for about 30-40 minutes.
• Stir the liquid occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. The rum is added to the still hot punch shortly before serving.

Traditional Indian tea punch

Punch originally came from India. The word punch comes from the Hindu word for “five” because that’s the number of ingredients you use to make it. British seafarers brought the idea to Europe.

• The five ingredients you need for the traditional Indian tea punch are 1.5 l black tea (e.g. Assam or Darjeeling), the juice and the zest of 3 unwaxed lemons, 250 g raw cane sugar, 250 ml arrack, and a pinch of ground cardamom.
• This variant is also not boiled but only left to simmer for about half an hour. Stir the tea punch from time to time to allow the cane sugar to dissolve.
• If you can’t get hold of the classic Arrack sugar liquor, you can also substitute another sugar cane liquor or white rum. But don’t confuse it with the similar-sounding aniseed liquor Arak.
• The Indian tea punch is also served hot. If desired, other spices such as nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon can be added.

Non-alcoholic children’s punch

Drivers and children don’t have to do without the warming drink either. We present a non-alcoholic version that you can prepare quickly and easily.

• For this non-alcoholic version, you need 1.5 l fruit tea, 250 ml cherry juice, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, and 4 unwaxed oranges. If required, it can also be sweetened with cane sugar, but thanks to the juice and the fruit, this punch is also very tasty and unsweetened.
• Wash the fruit and squeeze two of the oranges and put the juice in a saucepan. Add the tea and juice and spices. The remaining two oranges are sliced ​​and added.
• The liquid is heated without boiling and left to simmer on the stove for about half an hour. If desired, you can dissolve the sugar in the hot punch during this simmering time.