Festive mix

By
December 2021 View more

Fill your house (and bellies) with the warmth and fruity spice of this beloved punch, Holiday Doc, which can be enjoyed free-spirited or with liquor. The punch also is available for purchase in 16-ounce booze-free bottles at Blackberry Market (401 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn or 36 S. LaGrange Rd., LaGrange) or booze-included bottles at Common Good (560 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn).

Makes 20 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound blueberries*

1/8 pound huckleberries**

11/2 cup sugar

1 cup (generous) maple syrup

15 cinnamon sticks

10 allspice berries

2 large rosemary sprigs 

¼ pound fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped

2 1/2 cups water 

Lemon juice

Grapefruit juice***

Water

Instructions

1 For the syrup, combine the first 9 ingredients in a high-speed blender (Vitamix is best) and blend until smooth. 

2 Transfer blended mixture to a 6-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

3 Turn off heat and let cool; strain through fine mesh.

4 For the punch, combine 5 cups of syrup, 2½ cups of lemon juice, 1¼ cups of grapefruit juice, and 1 cup of water.

5 Serve over ice with or without alcohol.

*Frozen fruit is OK!

**Huckleberries provide extra flavor and a more robust color, but can be substituted with more blueberries if
not available. 

***Grapefruit juice can be omitted if you prefer no bitterness or can’t consume it for health reasons.

Adult beverage Serve with a winter spice-forward bourbon (like Old Forester Signature) or an herbal gin (like St. George Terroir) as an optional component to make your punch boozy. Add approximately 2 ounces of liquor to each 7-ounce glass of punch.

Photo by Megan Shuptar