Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

We’ve hosted Thanksgiving and holiday parties every year, and I’m bummed we won’t get to this year. Most of our friends have scattered now after residency, and it’s definitely harder to meet people when you’re the only fellow in your year like my husband, or when you work nights alone and you always work weekends like me. Although I don’t miss the long long hours or low pay, I definitely miss the “family” of a residency. The bonds of residency are unmatched.

Still, we’ve had several guests come and visit us, and we love entertaining in our beautiful huge apartment kitchen.

After borrowing people’s pitchers for years whenever I wanted to make a drink recipe, I finally found the perfect pitcher at a TJ Maxx. It’s small, has the perfect shape I wanted, made of glass, and super cheap!

We bought some local apple cider and mixed it with some Trader Joe’s ginger beer to make this festive holiday drink. This Sparkling Apple Cider Punch recipe is adapted from the Lemon Bowl, and you can use it for parties all fall or winter.

I had bought a ton of mini pumpkins, but all our Christmas decor is up, and my mom pointed out how they didn’t match. They were still good since I didn’t carve them.

Putting these drinks with fairy lights and my leftover mini pumpkins was so fun and festive – so I got one last use of them (I finally tossed them to my sadness).

I also caved and finally bough square silicone ice cube trays from Amazon, even though my husband said the oblong ice cubes from our fridge cool perfectly fine, I’ve always admired the perfectly square cubes in cocktail drinks from bars.

Ingredients
1 quart apple cider
1 can sparkling raspberry water
4 cups bottles ginger beer
1 lime, juiced
3-4 cinnamon sticks
3-4 whole star anise
bourbon (optional)
orange slices

Directions
Place all ingredients in a large punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Add orange slices. Serve with ice cubes and enjoy!