Apple-Cider Sparkle Party Punch

Dazzle your guests with this colorful and festive holiday punch. Super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. It makes a smashing presentation. Cheers!

Prep Time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients for Punch:

6 cups apple cider, I used Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider, chilled

2½ cups Ocean Spray’s Light Cran-Raspberry Juice Cocktail, chilled

1 bottle (750ml) Champagne or sparking wine, see shopping tip

Ingredients for Garnish:

1 basket raspberries, frozen

½ lemon

1 large green apple, un-peeled, cored and sliced

1 large red apple, un-peeled, cored and sliced

Instructions

1. In a bunch bowl, glass bowl, or pitcher, combine the apple cider and cran-raspberry juice. Mix well. Refrigerate until very cold.

2. Wash basket of raspberries and place in freezer.

3. When ready to serve, add the Champagne or sparkling wine.

4. Squeeze lemon juice on apples to prevent them turning brown.  Add apples and frozen raspberries to punch.

5. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings

Food Facts
Apple cider was a very popular early American drink.  It’s made by pressing the juice from apples. It’s also used to make cider vinegar.

Champagne is the world’s most popular sparkling wine, with its roots in sixteenth century France and its association with royalty. Champagne is made by adding sugar to an already bottled wine in order to cause a secondary fermentation. This second fermentation produces carbonation and Champagne’s characteristic bubbles.

Healthy Benefit
Champagne has been recently recognized as potentially beneficial for brain health as well as being one of the lowest calorie alcoholic beverages.

Shopping Tip
You can use an inexpensive bottle of Champagne or sparking wine for this recipe. Trader Joe’s sells some in the $12.00 range.

Substitution Tip
You can substitute white wine for the Champagne, if desired.

Prep Tip
To keep chilled, make cran-raspberry ice cubes the night before serving and add to punch, if desired. These keep the punch cold and don’t water it down.

Weight Watchers (old points) 3
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 5

SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving (not including garnish) 109 calories, 0g fat, 0g prot, 17g carbs, 1g fiber, 21mg sod, 15g sugar

FAT FACTS: skinny and fat facts are the same for this recipe