This bourbon-citrus punch is one I have been making since 1999 and everyone always asks for the recipe. It’s easy, festive looking, and delicious. The day I bought my ingredients I was in a hurry so I didn’t shop around for sale prices, but with none of them on sale, I was still able to make it for about $9.00. The ice ring takes about 6 hours to freeze and the punch itself takes about 5 minutes. This recipe is from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, which is probably my favorite cookbook.
*I had some problems with our camera so my pictures do not do this justice. And of course once everyone started drinking it, I couldn’t go back and take more pictures!
An orange, lemon, cherries and water make a beautiful ice ring….you could add this to any citrus punch you may already make.
BOURBON-CITRUS PUNCH-
Prep: 10 minutes
Freeze: 6 hours
Makes: 14 cups
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 (10-ounce) jar red maraschino cherries
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 small orange, sliced
- 1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 2 (1-liter) bottles sparkling water
- 2 cups bourbon
To make this gluten free, make sure you use gluten free bourbon and check the labels on the lemonade and orange juice concentrates.
Directions:
Bring water to a boil, and set aside to cool. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Arrange cherries, lemon slices, and orange slices in a 6-cup ring mold; add just enough water to cover fruit mixture. Freeze until firm (about 4 hours). Fill ring with water; refreeze. *I actually use a bundt pan to make my ice ring.
Combine reserved cherry juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice concentrate, sparkling water and bourbon in a punch bowl.
Unmold ice ring, and place in punch bowl.
Tammy’s Tip ‘O the Day!
If your ice ring is bigger than your punchbowl, you can hold the ring under some running water till the sides melt a bit….my bundt pan is bigger than my punchbowl so I have to do this.