Pear Ginger Champagne Punch

PEAR GINGER CHAMPAGNE PUNCH WITH GINGER BEER AND PEAR GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP

This sure is a mouthful of ingredients, but I assure you, it’s a simply made punch for the holidays.

There are so many different kinds of drinks to make, but if you’re especially in the market for a party cocktail or punch, or even just for the family, you definitely want to go with a punch. A pitcher goes a long way, and when you make this recipe, you’re essentially making backup syrup for more cocktails.

The pear ginger simple syrup is a very, very easy syrup that you can make beforehand, by about day or two in advance to store in the fridge. That way, you’re only making the pear cider to have as part of the punch day of, or night before. The pear cider recipe is also on my blog here.

The syrup I keep on the side of the punch, if you want your cocktail a little sweeter. I find a lot of people rather taste the champagne in the cocktail that has a touch of sweetness. After all, there is pear cider and ginger beer in this recipe.

There are a few ways you can serve the punch. I like to keep the pear ginger syrup on the side as mentioned previously, and the punch in a pitcher. I find it best to make the cider the night before so it can steep with the sliced pears in it overnight, and it’s cold to match the champagne. Please chill your champagne overnight as well! No one wants warm champagne.

PEAR GINGER CHAMPAGNE PUNCH RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups pear cider (linked above from pear cider recipe)

• 2 Bartlett pears, sliced for punch

• 2 bottles of ginger beer

• 1, 750 ml bottle of champagne

• crystalized ginger pieces for garnish

• pear slices for garnish in glass

• optional: 1 oz pear ginger simple syrup per drink

• optional: Ice for serving

Ingredients for pear ginger simple syrup

• 1 cup water

• 2 pears chopped up

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• zest of 1 orange

• 1 cup raw turbinado sugar

Instructions

To make ahead of time, if you’re making the pear ginger simple syrup, toss all ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then let simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from burner and let it sit to cool off before storing in a jar, in the fridge. You’ll need to sift out the juice from the boiled ingredients such as mushy pears, orange zest and ginger.

To make the punch you will need the champagne, cider, ginger beer and syrup chilled beforehand and a large spoon to stir. This has carbonation, so we can’t use a shaking mixer.

In a large punch bowl or pitcher, combine the measured ingredients for the punch, leaving the syrup out for anyone who wants to add it. (Along with a couple dozen pear slices and handful of ginger crystals and picks for garnishing.)

Stir the punch gently to mix all ingredients. Toss in the 2 sliced pears for visual appeal.

I would only make the punch after everyone has arrived. Cold punch is a timed beverage, and you don’t want any ice melting too quickly. If you are using a bowl, make sure to include the ladling spoon and have a tray to rest it if there is no groove in the bowl.