Tropical Party Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

Before you start

A good party punch tastes balanced from the first glass to the last, which is harder than it sounds. Sweet juices dominate on their own, and ice slowly waters everything down. This tropical version uses pineapple and mango for body, passion fruit for a perfumed sour note, and plenty of fresh lime so it never turns syrupy. Ginger ale goes in at the last minute for sparkle and a mild bite.

The make-ahead plan is simple: mix the juice base the day before and chill it thoroughly, freeze an ice ring from some of the same base, then add the bubbles when guests arrive. The ice ring melts slowly and adds flavor instead of water. Plan on roughly two 180 ml cups per guest over a couple of hours.

Ingredients

• Ice ring500 ml (2 cups) pineapple juice
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• ½ cup pineapple chunks or mint leaves
• Punch base1 liter (34 oz) pineapple juice — chilled
• 750 ml (25 oz) mango nectar — chilled
• 250 ml (8½ oz) passion fruit juice or nectar — or 120 ml unsweetened purée
• 500 ml (17 oz) orange juice — chilled
• 150 ml (5 oz) fresh lime juice — about 6 limes
• 1 tbsp grenadine — optional, for a sunset tint
• To finish1 liter (34 oz) ginger ale — well chilled
• 2 limes and 1 small pineapple, sliced — for garnish

Method

1. Arrange the lime slices and pineapple chunks in the ring mold. Pour in the 500 ml of pineapple juice and freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.
2. Squeeze and strain the lime juice. In a large pitcher or the punch bowl, combine the pineapple juice, mango nectar, passion fruit juice, orange juice and lime juice.
3. Stir well and taste. It should taste tart enough to make you pucker slightly, because the ginger ale and melting ice will soften it. Add more lime if it seems sweet.
4. Cover and refrigerate the base for at least 4 hours, until it is thoroughly cold.
5. Just before serving, dip the bottom of the ring mold in warm water for 15 to 20 seconds and turn the ring out into the punch bowl.
6. Pour the chilled base over the ring, then slowly add the ginger ale. Stir once or twice with the ladle so the bubbles survive.
7. Float the lime and pineapple slices on top, and drizzle the grenadine around the edge if using so it sinks in red streaks.

Tips for success

• Nectars vary in sweetness by brand. Taste the base before chilling and adjust with lime, not sugar.
• Keep a second bottle of ginger ale cold and top up the bowl as it empties; the first pour loses its fizz after about an hour.
• Set out a bucket of plain ice too. Guests who want their cup colder can add cubes without diluting the whole bowl.

Substitutions

Ginger ale

Lemon-lime soda makes it sweeter and more candy-like. Plain soda water keeps sugar down and lets the fruit lead; add 2 tbsp more lime to compensate for lost bite.

Passion fruit juice

Guava nectar gives a pink, floral punch with less sourness. Increase the lime by 30 ml.

Mango nectar

Coconut water lightens the body and makes a less sweet, more refreshing punch, but the color is paler.

Variations

Creamy coconut punch

Whisk 200 ml cream of coconut into the base before chilling. Expect a richer, piña colada-like drink.

Spiced tropical punch

Simmer 3 cinnamon sticks and 6 allspice berries in 250 ml of the pineapple juice for 5 minutes, cool, strain and add to the base.

Troubleshooting

The punch tastes flat and too sweet

There is not enough acid to balance the nectars. Stir in lime juice 30 ml at a time and taste after each addition.

The ice ring will not come out of the mold

Run warm (not hot) water over the outside for a few more seconds. Avoid prying, which can crack the ring.

It is watery by the end of the party

Ice cubes melted into the bowl. Use only the juice ring in the bowl, and keep the base chilled in the fridge to refill rather than leaving it all out at once.

Storage

The juice base keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Once ginger ale is added, serve within about 2 hours, as it loses fizz. Refrigerate leftovers, flat but still drinkable, and use them within a day. Juice punch should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.