Bourbon Cranberry Punch

Bourbon cranberry punch is a quietly versatile bowl. It can be set on the stove for a fireside gathering or chilled and ladled over ice when the doorbell is about to ring. The combination of bourbon and unsweetened cranberry juice keeps the drink from drifting into syrupy territory, and a hit of fresh orange and lemon brings the whole punch to life.

Choosing the right cranberry juice

Look carefully at the label. Many supermarket cranberry juices are sweetened cranberry drinks padded with apple or grape concentrate, which makes the finished punch flat and one-dimensional. Pure pressed cranberry juice or 100 percent cranberry juice is more astringent on its own, but it sets up the brown sugar and bourbon beautifully and lets the natural fruit acidity carry the drink. If the only option you can find is sweetened, halve the brown sugar in the recipe to keep things in balance. Frozen cranberries floated on top thaw slowly and look striking against the deep ruby colour of the punch.

Warm or cold service

For a warm bowl, keep the heat very low when dissolving the sugar and add the bourbon only after the pan has come off the burner. Boiling the bourbon would strip away the caramel and vanilla notes that make the punch worth drinking. Transfer to a heatproof punch bowl set on a trivet, or leave in the pan with the lid ajar if guests are gathering in the kitchen.

For a cold version, chill the base thoroughly, then build over plenty of ice in individual rocks glasses or pour into a punch bowl over a single large block. A small wheel of orange and a few floating cranberries are all the garnish needed. Either way, this is a sociable punch that suits a long, slow evening with friends.