(Note: this post was originally published on December 22, 2022. It has since been updated with a few tweaks.)

A Holiday Rum Punch for Special Occasions

This colorful holiday rum cocktail belongs at all your parties this fall and winter. Inspired by the flavors in cranberry sauce, it has a lovely balance of tart cranberry, sweet orange, and spicy ginger. It's a combination that will complement any holiday meal.

The other thing I love about this cocktail is its appearance. Just look at those colors! It feels celebratory, especially if you dress it up with some festive seasonal garnishes. I'm a big believer that having a signature drink makes any event feel more special, so you'll definitely want to bookmark this cranberry orange cocktail for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all your fall events.

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How to Make Holiday Rum Punch

Although this festive cranberry orange cocktail looks fancy, it's surprisingly easy to make. First, you'll add a splash of cranberry juice into the bottom of a serving glass filled with ice. Because the cranberry juice is dense (due to its sugar content), it stays toward the bottom and gives this drink its eye-catching layers. Next, you'll shake together rum, tangerine juice, and ginger liqueur and add that to the cocktail glass, then you'll finish it off with a splash of ginger beer.

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Holiday Rum Punch Variations

This pretty holiday rum cocktail can easily become a low-alcohol sip or a mocktail. For a low-alcohol version, just reduce the amount of rum you use and add more ginger beer at the end to fill the glass. For a mocktail, omit both the rum and ginger liqueur; there are enough other flavors that it still works without the rum. You could also consider substituting the rum with another flavorful fall ingredient like apple cider.

Feeling festive? This cranberry orange cocktail becomes extra special with some fun garnishes. These photos show sugared cranberries, sprigs of fresh thyme, and mandarin slices, but it will also work nicely with dried citrus slices or crystallized ginger.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this cranberry orange cocktail, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Unsweetened cranberry juice
• Tangerine, clementine, and/or mandarin juice. You'll definitely want to use fresh-squeezed citrus. Full-sized oranges will work ok if needed, but they don't have the same sweetness, interesting flavor, and deep color as their smaller counterparts.
• Gold rum. I love Koloa Rum. Make sure you use a gold-colored rum rather than a dark rum to keep the middle layer of this holiday rum punch a vibrant orange color.
• Ginger liqueur. I like to use Domaine de Canton, but there are numerous good ginger liqueurs available. If you don't have ginger liqueur, this drink still works without it since it incorporates ginger in the form of ginger beer as well. You could also consider replacing the 0.5 oz ginger liqueur with 0.25 oz ginger simple syrup, which I detail in this Ginger Bee's Knees recipe.
• Ginger beer
• Garnishes. I've shown sugared cranberries, fresh thyme, and mandarin slices in these photos, but use whatever puts you in a holiday spirit.

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Closing Thoughts

Surprised to see a holiday rum cocktail instead of the more classic bourbon? Rum is actually a fabulous holiday ingredient since it works well for both drinks and for cooking, plus is pairs beautifully with iconic fall ingredients. If you're looking to experiment with some rum creations this holiday season, you'll definitely want to check out this unique Chaider Rum Punch, this festive layered Thanksgiving Eve Dark & Stormy, and this elegant Spiced Pomegranate Daiquiri. If you're looking for sweet treats, you'll love this Salted Rum Caramel Sauce and these Rum Poached Pears too.

I'm a firm believer that any special occasion needs a special cocktail to match. Whether you're hosting a casual holiday party, a festive meal, or just an intimate holiday-season date-night, an on-theme and seasonal cocktail makes the event feel celebratory. I'm confident that this holiday rum punch is the finishing touch your event needs. Cheers and happy holidays!

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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As with all my cocktail recipes, please enjoy responsibly!

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Suggested Pairings

Maple Sea Salt Hummus

Raw Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Vegan Brussels Sprouts Waldorf Salad

Roasted Vegetable Harvest Pasta

Rum Poached Pears

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Disclosure: This recipe has been developed through a paid partnership with Koloa Rum. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.