Whiskey Punch
This whiskey punch is sweet, tart, and just boozy enough to make your spirits bright this holiday season. This crowd-pleasing cocktail feels equally at home at a tailgate as at a holiday party.
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Whiskey Punch
- 🕰️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 8 drinks
- 🍁 Flavor Profile: Sweet, spiced, citrus-y, and boozy, like any good punch!
- 🍊 Good For: Tailgating, fall potlucks, Thanksgiving dinners, Friendsgiving, pairing with a cheese board (learn how to make a charcuterie board)
- 🧡 Difficulty: Simple, but obviously adults only!
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🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Hi there: Summer has its fair share of cocktails, but there are plenty of mixed drinks that are well suited for cooler times of the year. This whiskey punch is a delicious mix of warm whiskey, sweet tea, and vibrant citrus, making it ideal for parties. Whether you're tailgating, need a new Thanksgiving cocktail, or you want a special Halloween drink to pair with a Halloween cheese board, you'll find whiskey punch spices up any autumn or winter event!
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Cool weather friendly: Whiskey punch is a mixed drink that's ideal for cooler weather. The citrus brings autumn and winter holidays to mind, while the whiskey adds a spicy warmth to the drink. If you're a bourbon lover and you're looking for another perfect fall drink, you've got to try our spiked apple cider recipe served hot or cold!
- Simple ingredients: No need to go to the liquor store for specialty ingredients. Bourbon or whiskey, OJ, black tea, lemons, and honey are all that stand between you and this delicious punch!
- Easy to make: No bartender skills required here! Just brew your tea, stir in the other ingredients, and you've got a sweet and citrusy whiskey punch your guests will love.
- Just right: If Goldilocks were 21+, she'd love this punch-it's not too sweet, not too boozy...it's just right.
🥃 The Ingredients You Need
- Orange juice: The fresher the orange juice, the better the drink! If you have the time (and the oranges) try making this whiskey punch with freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Bourbon: This recipe is called whiskey punch, but I recommend using bourbon specifically. What's the difference? There are a lot of whiskeys from all over-but bourbon is a type of whiskey made only in the United States. Bourbon tends to be a little smoother than other whiskeys, and is specifically made in charred-oak barrels. You don't need top-shelf bourbon to make this recipe-a mid-range bottle works well. Save whatever is left in the bottle to make bourbon eggnog or bourbon brown sugar cookies in December, or a batch of bourbon apple pie filling for holiday gifts!
- Black tea: Black tea adds some astringency that mellows out the sweetness of the orange juice and honey. Use whatever black tea you enjoy.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.
🔁 Variations & Substitutions
- Whiskey punch slushy: Love the taste of this whiskey punch but don't want to wait until the weather cools? Try blending it with ice to make a whiskey punch slushie!
- Cranberry whiskey punch: Try replacing half of the orange juice with cranberry juice to further up the Thanksgiving vibes. Depending on whether you use pure cranberry juice or cranberry cocktail, you may need to adjust the amount of honey.
- Change the sweetener: As long as it's sweet, you can substitute other ingredients for honey. Try substituting maple syrup or simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio for the honey. You could also use granulated sugar. Start with a ¼ cup of sugar and see what you think...you can always add more!
- Garnishing: Garnish with a sprig of mint leaves, orange slice, or a lemon slice if you're feeling a little fancy.
🍹 Whiskey Punch How-To
Step 1: Boil the water and steep three bags of black tea for about five minutes. You'll know it is done when the tea is a dark color (darker than normal, since you have triple the tea bags in your mug or pitcher!).
Step 2: Stir in the honey. Do this while the tea is still hot to help the honey dissolve.
Step 3: Stir the tea with the bourbon, orange juice, and lemon juice. Allow to cool before serving, or the ice will melt instantly, diluting your punch.
Step 4: Serve the punch poured over crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint.
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🙋🏻♀️ Whiskey Punch FAQs
Traditionally, you make a drink referred to as a "punch" using a combination of five ingredients-alcohol, sugar, lemon or citrus juice, water, and spices. This whiskey punch follows the same general rules, and combines strong black tea with a sweetener, bourbon, and citrus.
It really depends on the kind of punch! I love a whiskey or bourbon for the warm spiced vibe, but vodka can really allow the fruit and other ingredients to shine, like in our Jingle Juice Punch. Wine gives a punch more of a sangria vibe, like in this rosé sangria. You could also use tequila!
👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- Party serving: Whiskey punch is best served in a lowball glass, although you can use any glass you have on hand. Fill the glass with crushed ice, then pour punch over the top and garnish. You can keep your whiskey punch in a pitcher, or you can set it out in a large punch bowl for your guests to serve themselves.
- Go fresh: Fresh orange juice will give your punch an even better flavor, if you have time to make it!
- Cool quick: Crushed ice will cool each glass of punch quickly, making it easy sipping right away.
🍁 More Fall Cocktail Recipes
If you tried this whiskey punch or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Whiskey Punch
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water boiling
- 3 black tea bags decaf if you like
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup bourbon
- 2 cups orange juice
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Crushed ice and fresh mint sprigs for serving
Instructions
- Pour the boiling 1 ½ cups water in a large mug and add the 3 black tea bags
- Let steep until dark in color and rich in flavor, about five minutes.
- Stir in the ¼ cup honey until well dissolved.
- In a large pitcher, combine tea mixture, 1 cup bourbon, 2 cups orange juice, and the Juice of 2 lemons. Stir well.
- Serve in low ball glasses filled with crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.
Notes
- Swap in simple syrup, maple syrup, or granulated sugar for the honey, if desired.
- Fresh orange juice will give you a better flavor, if you have time to squeeze your own.
- Try blending the punch with ice to make more of a slushy!
This is our favorite cocktail to serve alongside a bunch of board games on New Year's Eve!