Party Punch

In February, we celebrated our son's baptism. Such an event brought all sides of my family together (sadly my husband's family lives clear across the country, so it's hard to attend events like this). When planning the menu, I arrived at the beverage category and things quickly got out of hand. You see, there are some polar opposites in my family. When my mom's side gets together to celebrate an event, they bring along certain friends: Caymus, Cakebread, Jameson (why not add a little Irish to your coffee?), Veuve, Van Gogh, Bud, and Coors. My dad's side? They bring out the Martinelli's. Yup - sparking apple cider is about as wild as it gets there!

I created the Mom's side portion of the menu with simply red and white wine, and two types of beer. After running it past her, she thought that mimosas, espresso martinis, and a third beer offering were in order. I had to politely remind her that this was a Sunday afternoon event - no need to run the gamet on alcoholic beverages! We compromised and ended up somewhere in the middle. For the Dad's side of the menu, I found this suggestion for punch on a cooking board that I frequent. I wanted to do something other than just water and soda, and this was a fabulous choice! What are your family gatherings like? Are the offerings more like Mom's side or Dad's side?

This party punch is easy to throw together, fruity with a little zing from the ginger ale. A great treat for all party guests!

Party Punch

Source: Ammie of Adventures in my kitchen
Preparation time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 2 quarts cranberry juice
• 1 can pineapple juice (46 ounces)
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 liters ginger ale
• 1 orange, sliced

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except orange slices to a large punch bowl with ice. Stir to combine.
2. Float orange slices in punch for garnish.