Search
This Thanksgiving punch recipe is so easy and packed with the flavors of fall! The perfect thanksgiving drink for thanksgiving dinner or anytime you want a delicious punch recipe this holiday season. Pour this festive punch into a large pitcher or punch bowl, garnish with apple slices, and let your guests help themselves!
Thanksgiving Punch Recipe
There are only 31 days until Thanksgiving! Can you believe there are just 4 weeks until the big day?! That means it’s officially time to start sharing all the new Thanksgiving recipes I’ve created for you.
Starting with this super festive apple cider Thanksgiving punch! It’s so easy to make, serves a crowd, and looks absolutely gorgeous in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Especially if you garnish it with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, star anise, apple slices, and fresh thyme. Your Thanksgiving guests will hail you the ultimate mixologist!
The Flavors of Fall in a Cocktail!
- Maple Syrup adds sweetness and a cozy flavor that marries perfectly with the apple cider and bourbon! I don’t suggest skipping this ingredient or using honey instead. No need to use fancy maple syrup, just be sure you use REAL maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
- Apple Cider is refreshing and so delicious in punch. You should be able to find this at your local grocery store in the refrigerated drinks section. Do not mistake this ingredient with hard cider or apple cider vinegar.
- Bourbon is my spirit of choice for this Thanksgiving drink, but whiskey or rum would be equally delicious.
- Fresh thyme adds an earthy flavor to the simple syrup. You can use rosemary instead if you prefer that flavor over thyme.
- And lots of spices like fresh ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves! Adds almost a pumpkin pie spice… but so much better.
- Ginger beer adds carbonation and tastes a million times better than ginger ale. That being said, if you can only find ginger ale at the grocery store, use it!
- Fresh lemon juice and orange juice add a sweet/tart flavor this Thanksgiving punch recipe. You could replace the lemon juice with cranberry juice for a ruby red punch recipe! And add in a handful of fresh cranberries with the garnish.
Can I make this a Non-Alcoholic Thanksgiving punch?
Yes, you can definitely make this into a non-alcoholic Thanksgiving drink. To do this, omit the bourbon and add 3 times the amount of ginger beer. You can also add a 1/2 cup of unsweetened cranberry juice for a tart kick!
Make Apple Cider Thanksgiving Punch:
- You’ll start by making the simple syrup. If you’ve never made simple syrup before, don’t fret, it’s as easy as boiling water. You’ll cook this for about 15 minutes and then cool it completely. You can make this up to 1 week before you need it and store it in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to make the punch, bust out a large pitcher or punch bowl. Then combine the simple syrup with the apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, and orange juice.
- Chill the punch for about an hour, or until cold. And you can keep it chilled for up to 4 hours.
- Garnish and serve your Thanksgiving drink! Right before serving, pour in the ginger beer into the pitcher or punch bowl. Serve with glasses filled with ice and garnishes. Some garnish ideas: apple slices, fresh thyme sprigs, orange slices, fresh cranberries, star anise, cinnamon sticks.
Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes:
- Honey Crisp Apple Cider Sangria
- Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potato Casserole
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
- Creamy Scalloped Au Gratin Potatoes
- Mini Pecan Pie Cheesecakes
- Bacon, Rosemary, and Gruyere Drop Biscuits
Bourbon Apple Cider Thanksgiving Punch
Ingredients
For the Maple Simple Syrup:
- 2 cups (454ml) water
- 1 cup (340ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 2 3-inch pieces fresh ginger peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Thanksgiving Punch:
- 3 cups (681ml) apple cider non-alcoholic
- 2 cups (454ml) bourbon
- 3/4 cup (171ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (113ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 cup (227ml) ginger beer non-alcoholic
- 3 large honeycrisp apples sliced
Instructions
For the Maple Simple Syrup:
- Combine the water, maple syrup, brown sugar, spices, ginger, and thyme in a medium-saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the maple syrup and brown sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside and cool for 30 minutes, then strain the simple syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl.
- Discard spices. Use ALL of the simple syrup in the punch recipe below.
For the Thanksgiving Punch:
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine all of the simple syrup with the apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, and orange juice. Gently stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour – or up to 4 hours. Right before serving, pour the ginger beer into the pitcher and add the apple slices, gently stir to combine.
- Pour into glasses filled with ice and serve at once! Garnish ideas: apple slices, fresh thyme sprigs, star anise, cinnamon sticks.
Can I make this 2 weeks in advance ?
I just made this punch for our Thanksgiving dinner and it was a huge hit! The combination of bourbon and apple cider is so delicious and perfect for the fall season. I’ll definitely be making it again next year!