Disclosure: There are no affiliate links in this post. Some future posts may contain affiliate links; when they do, we’ll say so clearly at the top of the post.
Cold hands, sparklers, the smell of woodsmoke: the best Bonfire Night drinks are warm ones you can wrap your hands around. This gently spiced apple punch is softened with orange and fresh ginger, finished with a sprig of rosemary, and blushed with an optional splash of cranberry. It’s alcohol-free and refined-sugar-free, so everyone in the group can have a mug, from grandparents to the designated driver.
It’s a party jug drink: it comes together in one pan in about 30 minutes, and you can serve it warm in mugs or chilled from a jug with ice. You can also make it ahead, and it travels beautifully in a flask to the local fireworks display. It sits alongside the rest of our botanical mocktail recipes.
Equipment
- Large saucepan with a lid
- Ladle and fine-mesh strainer
- Heatproof glass mugs
- Insulated flask, for taking it out
For more glassware and bar kit, browse Shop the Bar.
Warm Spiced Apple & Rosemary Punch
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour the apple juice (and the cranberry juice, if using) into a large saucepan. Add the orange slices, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
- Warm over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, until steaming and just starting to shimmer. Don't let it boil hard.
- Turn the heat to its lowest setting, add the rosemary sprigs, cover and infuse for 10–15 minutes.
- Taste. Add lemon juice to brighten. Apple juice is naturally sweet, so you may not need any extra sweetener. If you've added cranberry, or would like it sweeter, stir in a little honey, maple or agave.
- Lift out the rosemary, then strain the punch or ladle it carefully, leaving the whole spices behind.
- Serve in heatproof mugs with a fresh orange slice and a small rosemary sprig.
Notes
Tip: press your own juice
If you have a juicer, cold-press your own apple juice on the day. Use a mix of sweet and slightly sharp apples, and press a few cranberries with them if you’re adding cranberry. No juicer? Grate the apples coarsely, wrap them in a clean muslin and squeeze firmly over a bowl. Juiciness varies a lot, so press a little more than you need, keep the juice chilled and use it straight away. Shop-bought? Choose organic pressed juice, not from concentrate, with no added sugar.
Want a rosemary-sweetened version? Use our rosemary syrup (made with honey or agave) as the optional sweetener.
Variations
- Ruby cranberry punch: For a deeper colour and a properly tart, cranberry-forward punch, increase the cranberry juice to 300 ml and reduce the apple juice to 850 ml. Cranberry is very sharp, so you’ll probably want a little honey, maple or agave.
- Pear and apple: Swap 400 ml of the apple juice for pear juice (ideally home-pressed; otherwise organic pressed, not from concentrate).
- Tea-based: Replace 300 ml of the apple juice with strongly brewed rooibos for a less sweet, more rounded punch.
- Cold party jug: Cool the strained punch completely and chill it. Serve from a jug over plenty of ice, topping each glass with a splash of sparkling water for a spiced apple spritz.
- Keep it warm for longer: For a long evening, keep the strained punch in the pan on the lowest heat with the lid on, and don’t let it boil.
- Mulled-style warmth: Add 2 lightly crushed cardamom pods and a strip of lemon peel along with the spices.
Bonfire Night drinks: serving and garnish tips
- Flask trick: Fill your flask with just-boiled water for a few minutes, tip it out, then add the hot punch. It stays warmer for longer.
- Garnish: A dehydrated orange wheel and a rosemary sprig look lovely. Lightly slap the rosemary first to wake up its aroma.
- Party jug or pot: For a warm punch, keep the pan on the lowest hob setting with a ladle and a stack of mugs alongside. For a cold one, set out a chilled jug, a bucket of ice and a bottle of sparkling water.
- Sparklers and bonfires: Keep hot drinks well away from where sparklers are lit and handed out.
Make-ahead and storage
Make the punch up to 2 days ahead. Strain it, cool it quickly, and keep it covered in the fridge. Reheat gently until steaming hot all the way through before serving. Don’t keep reheating the same batch; warm only what you need.
A note on botanicals and spices: This recipe uses rosemary, ginger and whole spices in everyday culinary amounts. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication, or have allergies or a health condition, check with your GP or pharmacist before using herbs or botanicals you’re unsure about, and avoid concentrated extracts or essential oils in drinks. Use only food-grade star anise bought as a culinary spice; decorative or craft “star anise” is not suitable for food. If anyone has a spice allergy, leave out the relevant spice. Honey is not suitable for babies under 12 months (see the NHS advice on foods to avoid giving babies and young children).
Hot drinks: Serve at a comfortable temperature, take care with children around hot liquids, and use heatproof glassware.
FAQ
What are good alcohol-free Bonfire Night drinks?
Warm drinks win on a cold night. This spiced apple and rosemary punch is easy to batch and keeps well in a flask. Spiced rooibos with orange, or warm pear juice with ginger and cinnamon, are good alternatives. All of them can be made ahead and reheated gently before you head out.
How is this different from mulled apple juice?
This is a party punch for Bonfire Night: made in one pan, with orange, fresh ginger, rosemary and optional cranberry, served warm in mugs or chilled from a jug. Mulled apple juice is usually a simpler hot drink of apple juice and warm spices, slowly mulled for Christmas.
Does this punch contain refined sugar?
No. The sweetness comes from the apple juice, ideally your own cold-pressed or an organic pressed juice with no added sugar, plus an optional spoonful of honey, maple syrup or agave. For a vegan punch, use maple or agave, or skip the extra sweetener altogether.
Is this punch suitable for children?
It’s alcohol-free, but it is a fruit-juice drink. NHS advice for children aged 4 and under is to avoid drinks with sugar, including the natural sugar in fruit juice, honey and syrups (NHS guidance). So this punch is best for older children and adults. Serve it cooled to a comfortable temperature.
How do I keep it warm at a fireworks display?
Pre-warm an insulated flask with just-boiled water, tip the water out, then fill the flask with piping-hot strained punch and seal it straight away. Pour it into cups when you’re ready to serve, and keep the lid closed between refills so it stays hot for longer.
