Ingredients:

  • 3 cups 100% Cranberry Juice (Unsweetened)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 4 large Clementines (zest and juice used)
  • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 4 Star Anise Pods
  • 8 Whole Cloves
  • 2 cups Pure Orange Juice (No Pulp, Chilled)
  • 4 cups Sparkling Water or Ginger Ale (Chilled)
  • 1 cup Frozen Cranberries (for chilling and garnish)
  • 1 fresh Clementine (thinly sliced, for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup Pomegranate Seeds (Arils, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Aromatics: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the four clementines, avoiding the bitter white pith. Set aside. Juice the clementines and set the juice aside.
  2. Make the Syrup Base: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and whole cloves. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Infuse: Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low. Add the clementine zest strips to the syrup. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  4. Combine and Steep: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour in the 3 cups of cranberry juice and the fresh clementine juice. Stir well.
  5. Cool and Chill: Allow the concentrate to cool slightly at room temperature (about 30 minutes). Once slightly cooled, cover and transfer the concentrate to the refrigerator. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally, overnight, allowing the spices to fully steep.
  6. Strain: Pour the chilled spiced concentrate through a fine-mesh sieve into your large punch bowl or serving vessel. Ensure all the whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, anise) and the clementine zest are removed. Discard the solids.
  7. Build the Base: Add the 2 cups of cold orange juice to the spiced concentrate in the bowl. Stir to combine.
  8. Add Garnish Ice: Place the frozen cranberries into the punch bowl. These act as natural ice cubes that won’t dilute the flavour.
  9. Add the Fizz: Just before guests arrive, slowly pour in the chilled sparkling water or ginger ale. Stir gently once or twice—we want to keep that lovely effervescence.
  10. Final Garnish: Float the fresh clementine slices and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the surface. Serve immediately.