She Strengthens

Festive Pomegranate Punch Recipe

Get Ready to Impress Your Guests

This refreshing holiday punch is a game-changer, featuring a unique blend of tart pomegranate and lime juice, aged Jamaican rum, simple syrup, and a hint of orange bitters. To take it to the next level, we’ve included a step-by-step guide to creating a stunning pomegranate-and-lime ice block that will keep your punch chilled and visually appealing.

Plan Ahead for a Stress-Free Party

You can prepare the punch base up to 8 hours in advance, then transfer it to a punch bowl and add the sparkling wine when you’re ready to serve. This easy recipe yields 22 drinks and requires only 15 minutes of active time, plus overnight freezing time for the ice block.

Gather Your Ingredients

For the ice block:

• 1/2 medium pomegranate, quartered
• 1/2 medium lime, thinly sliced
• Water

For the punch:

• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (no sugar added)
• 1 1/2 cups aged Jamaican rum, such as Appleton
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 7 medium limes)
• 3/4 cup Simple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Orange Bitters
• 2 (750-milliliter) bottles brut sparkling wine or champagne, chilled

Create Your Ice Block

The day before serving, place the pomegranate pieces in a small saucepan, nestling the lime slices between them and along the sides of the pan. Add enough water to cover the fruit, then freeze until solid.

Prepare the Punch

Combine the pomegranate juice, rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and orange bitters in a 5-cup container. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

Serve with Flair

When ready to serve, transfer the rum mixture to a 3-1/2-quart punch or serving bowl. Gently stir in the sparkling wine (be careful not to overmix). To remove the ice block from the saucepan, dip the pan in hot water or heat it over the flame on a stovetop burner until the ice block releases. Float it in the punch and serve immediately. Your guests will be impressed!