Sparkling Poinsettia Cocktail Punch: Your Essential Festive Drink for Christmas & New Year’s

As the festive season twinkles into full swing, there’s a certain magic in the air that beckons for a special toast. Imagine sipping a light, vibrant, and utterly refreshing cocktail that perfectly encapsulates the joy and warmth of the holidays. Our Poinsettia Cocktail Punch is precisely that—a delightful blend of flavors that sings of Christmas cheer and is equally magnificent for clinking glasses as you usher in the New Year. This easy-to-make, elegant punch is destined to become your go-to festive libation, leaving a lasting impression on your guests and creating unforgettable moments.

Wishing you all a magical Christmas season filled with love, laughter, cherished family moments, and the creation of many joyous new memories. May your days be merry and bright, and your evenings filled with good company and even better drinks.

A Taste of Tradition: Our Festive Holiday Feasts

Beyond the shimmering decorations and joyful carols, the heart of our holiday celebration truly lies in our family’s time-honored culinary traditions. Each dish tells a story, passed down through generations, making our Christmas meals a journey through heritage and love. This Christmas Eve, we’re eagerly anticipating our traditional German-style family dinner. The star of the show will be Fleisch Rouladen, a savory rolled meat dish that’s a true labor of love. This year, it’s extra special, as we’ll be using flavorful wild venison, generously provided by my sister, Ingrid, an avid hunter.

Accompanying the Rouladen, you’ll find homemade spätzle—a delightful German egg noodle that I’m currently perfecting into a gluten-free version, ensuring everyone can enjoy its comforting texture. The meal wouldn’t be complete without the vibrant tang of sweet and sour red cabbage and a refreshing cucumber salad, balancing the richness of the main course. These dishes are more than just food; they are an experience, a connection to our roots, and a cherished part of our family identity during the holidays.

Christmas Day brings another beloved tradition: our family’s classic roast goose, perfectly golden and succulent. It’s stuffed with a savory blend of sauerkraut and prunes, a combination that might sound unusual but offers an incredible depth of flavor—sweet, tart, and deeply satisfying. Naturally, it will be served with all the festive trimmings, creating a grand feast that we look forward to all year. We pour our hearts into these meals, and the shared joy around the table is the greatest gift of all. What culinary traditions do you embrace during your own holiday celebrations?

The Star of the Celebration: Introducing the Poinsettia Cocktail

And what about to sip alongside these incredible meals and during festive gatherings? Last week, we hosted our much-anticipated annual Christmas get-together with dear friends—an evening brimming with delectable food, lively conversations, and hilariously crazy games that we eagerly anticipate every year. For the occasion, I served one of our most beloved Christmas drinks: Nigella Lawson’s exquisite Poinsettia cocktails. This vibrant punch was the perfect accompaniment, providing a cheerful spark for countless holiday toasts throughout the evening.

The Poinsettia cocktail is truly a standout because it’s wonderfully light, incredibly fresh, and practically screams “Christmas festivities!” Its beautiful crimson hue, reminiscent of the iconic holiday flower, adds an instant touch of elegance to any setting. Every single time I serve this drink, it’s met with universal adoration. Its effervescent quality and balanced sweetness make it incredibly appealing, ensuring that every guest finds themselves reaching for another glass. I can confidently say it would be equally superb for raising a glass to toast in the New Year, marking new beginnings with a delightful sparkle.

Cheers to the magic of the season and may you be surrounded by love, warmth, and delicious sips throughout the entire holiday period!

Crafting Your Perfect Poinsettia Punch: Expert Tips

Kitchen Frau Notes: The recipe for this delightful Poinsettia cocktail calls for a sparkling dry white wine. While true champagne refers specifically to sparkling wine produced under stringent regulations in the Champagne region of France, many other countries produce equally wonderful, high-quality sparkling dry white wines that are perfect for this punch. These alternatives offer excellent flavor and often a more accessible price point.

• Sparkling Wine Choices:
  • In Italy, you’ll find crisp and often fruit-forward Prosecco, a fantastic choice for its lively bubbles.
  • Spain boasts Cava, which is typically made using the traditional method, giving it a complexity similar to champagne.
  • The Germans, true to form, have their own excellent sparkling wine called Sekt. My personal favorite, and the one I consistently use for this cocktail (and indeed, for all my “champagne” moments!), is the surprisingly inexpensive German Sekt named “Henkell Trocken.” It delivers a consistent dry quality and delightful effervescence that truly elevates the Poinsettia.
  • Feel free to choose any dry sparkling wine that suits your taste and budget; the key is its dryness to balance the sweetness of the other ingredients.
• Cranberry Juice Selection: It’s crucial for this recipe that you use a sweetened cranberry juice cocktail, such as Ocean Spray® cranberry cocktail. The natural, unsweetened cranberry juice typically found in health food stores is significantly more tart and would likely make this drink too sour for most palates, throwing off the intended balance of flavors. The sweetened version provides the necessary sweetness and fruitiness to complement the orange liqueur and sparkling wine.
• Orange Liqueur Options: The recipe suggests orange liqueurs like Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec. Cointreau is a triple sec but is often considered a premium brand, offering a clean, intense orange flavor. Grand Marnier is a blend of Cognac and distilled bitter orange essence, providing a richer, slightly more complex profile. Triple Sec (meaning “triple dry”) is a generic term for a clear orange liqueur; various brands offer different levels of sweetness and orange intensity. Any of these will work beautifully, so choose your favorite or what you have on hand.

The Classic Poinsettia Cocktail Punch Recipe

from Nigella Lawson’s book ‘Nigella Christmas’

• Ingredients:

  • 125 ml (½ cup) orange liqueur, such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec
  • 500 ml (2 cups) sweetened cranberry juice cocktail
  • One bottle (750ml) sparkling dry white wine (e.g., Sekt, Prosecco, or Champagne)

Instructions:

In a large pitcher, combine the orange liqueur and the cranberry juice cocktail. Gently stir to mix these two base ingredients. Slowly top the mixture with the sparkling wine, ensuring you maintain its effervescence. Stir once more very gently, just enough to combine everything without losing too many bubbles. Serve immediately. For an extra refreshing touch, I like to add an ice cube or two to each individual glass, though be mindful not to over-dilute the punch if making a large batch.

To truly elevate the presentation, you could get creative with garnishes. A delicate orange curl, a thin orange slice, or a few fresh cranberries dropped into each glass will add a festive visual appeal. While I sometimes lack the organizational prowess to implement these fancy touches, they certainly enhance the holiday spirit! This recipe yields approximately 8 delicious cocktails, perfect for a small gathering.

*Scaling the Recipe: If you wish to make individual cocktails, or need to adjust the quantity for a larger or smaller crowd, remember the simple and easy-to-follow ratios: 1 part orange liqueur : 4 parts cranberry juice : 6 parts sparkling dry white wine. This ensures a perfectly balanced drink every time, no matter the volume you’re preparing.

Final Toast and Festive Wishes

Prosit!and Merry Christmas!

If you’ve enjoyed this festive recipe and want to explore more culinary delights, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. Your support truly makes my day!

More Festive Inspiration from Our Kitchen

You might also like these other holiday-worthy recipes:

Rouladen, a Christmas Eve Tradition

Cranberry Sauce with Pears, Red Wine and Honey

Maple and Mustard Glazed Roast Turkey with Killer Gravy

Festive Poppyseed, Pomegranate and Pear Salad for the Holidays

Decadent Little Truffles