Various autumnal delights combine for a festive holiday cocktail.

This recipe was featured as part of our Thanksgiving for Beginners menu.

  • Yield: 18 – 24 drinks
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 15 mins, plus 1 hr chilling time
  • Active: 15 mins

Ingredients (9)

  • 1 cup cranberries (about 4 ounces), thawed if frozen
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 cups apple cider or apple juice
  • 3 cups brandy
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 15 lemons)
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Place cranberries, 1/4 cup of the water, and the brown sugar in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until the cranberries are completely smashed and the brown sugar has dissolved slightly.
  2. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups water, apple cider or juice, brandy, lemon juice, and maple syrup and stir vigorously until well combined and the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the mixture through a strainer set over a 10-cup pitcher and discard the solids left in the strainer. Chill for at least 1 hour, or until cold.
  3. If desired, transfer the mixture to a punch bowl and top with apple slices. To serve, pour 3 ounces of the punch into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a thin slice of apple.