Libations: Autumn Punch
Author: Maibella Rhoiden
A few weeks ago I had a party at my house. I wanted to get in the mood for fall so I made a pork roast in the crock pot, served fall-themed desserts like pumpkin pie, and made Autumn Punch using a recipe I found on Recipe.com. I had three varieties of wine out for people to enjoy but no one touched the wine – they kept going back to the punch. And I can’t blame them – it was delicious! I definitely plan to make it again. In fact, it might become my go-to drink for whenever I'm having a party in the colder months.
Ingredients
This simple recipe required a brief shopping trip and took only a short time to prepare. To make a 10-12 serving batch you’ll need the following:
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- half of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- a 64-ounce bottle of apple-cranberry juice
- 4 medium sized plums, either purple or green, pitted and sliced (I used purple)
- A 750 mililiter bottle Gewurztraminer, or other fruity white wine (I used Gewurztraminer but my research shows me that Riesling will work just as well)
- Ice cubes
Preparation
Cut out a 6 inch double thick square of cheese cloth (I had to buy some – this isn’t something I keep on hand) and put the cloves and vanilla bean in the center. Tie up the corners with a clean string to form a closed pouch. Place the pouch in the container you’ll be making your drink in. Pour the apple-cranberry juice into the container. Add the plum slices. Cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours (I kept mine chilling for a little more than 24 hours).
When you’re ready to serve the punch remove and discard the cheese cloth spice bag. Stir in the Gewurztraminer. Serve over ice, with a plum slice in each glass. (I poured the entire mixture into a punch bowl, put the ice in the bowl as well, and served it that way.)
Other Options
A few minor changes will give you a completely different drink:
- Omit the ice, heat the mixture in a Dutch oven and serve warm on a cold day.
- Omit the wine and use two 12-ounce cans of ginger all for a non-alcoholic version.
