Ginger Ale Punch

Ginger ale punch is the bridal-shower, retirement-party, church-basement classic that never falls out of style for a reason. The base of pineapple, orange, lemon, and lime juices makes a tart, tropical-leaning concentrate that gets stretched and lifted with a flood of bubbly ginger ale and soda water at the very last minute.

The order of operations is what separates a great punch from a flat one. Make the juice base ahead and chill it thoroughly. Adding warm juice to cold soda kills the bubbles instantly, and you end up with sad, flat punch within an hour. Wait until guests are arriving before pouring in the ginger ale and soda water.

Frozen strawberries do double duty. They keep the punch cold without diluting it the way ice cubes would, and they look gorgeous floating in the bowl. Don’t thaw them first.

A cup of sugar in the base sounds like a lot, but it balances the acidity from the citrus and rounds out the punch so it doesn’t taste astringent.

Pro Tips

• Freeze a bundt-pan ice ring filled with juice and berries for a non-diluting centerpiece
• Chill all the carbonated beverages overnight in the fridge, room-temperature soda foams over and goes flat fast
• Reserve a backup bottle of ginger ale to revive the punch as guests work through the bowl
• Float thinly sliced lemons and limes on top for a brighter look

Variations

• Spike with a bottle of vodka or white rum for an adult version
• Swap ginger ale for Prosecco or champagne for brunch-style mimosa punch
• Add a few sprigs of fresh mint just before serving for an herbal lift