Punch ranks as one of the most versatile and favored drinks of all time.  With New Years Eve parties coming up, now is the perfect time to offer this basic recipe and some of its many variations.  I am sure it will trigger you to add your own personal variations, as well.  So whether for New Years or other holidays, a birthday party or shower, a family reuinion or a wedding, I hope you enjoy some of these recipes.

Basic Punch Recipe: (Chill all ingredients day before and up until mixing.)

2 24 oz. cans of your favorite Hawaiin Punch flavor or equivalent of pure juice

1 liter of ginger ale or Seven-up

For the crystal clear punch:

2 24 oz. bottles of white grape juice

1 liter of white ginger ale or Seven-Up

Just before serving, pour chilled beverages together and add ice cubes or an ice ring made in a jello mold. If you wish, you can add your favorite alcohol-to- taste to either version. Any large bowl and ladle will serve the purpose of holding your punch, but a crystal clear punch bowl is usually preferred.

Creamy Orange Punch

1. Use orange soda instead of ginger ale or Seven-Up. Place small scoops of orange sherbet in your mixture to float on top of your punch. Leave the ice out of this one. Use lime sherbet or raspberry or rainbow, depending on the color of your punch and on your taste preferences.

Sangria-style Punch

2. Add thinly-sliced lime or orange slices to your punch, whole or halved frozen strawberries, pineapple chunks, cherries, bananas, and grapes, in any combination you wish to your basic recipe.

Citrus Punch

3. Substitute orange juice for the Hawaiin Punch. Freeze some of the orange juice in ice-cube trays and add them so as not to dilute the punch.

Tangy Cranberry Punch

4. Substitute one quart of cranberry juice for one of the cans of Hawaiin Punch.

Milk and Fruit Punch

5. Put small scoops of vanilla ice-cream into red or orange punch to float atop it.

Diabetic-Friendly Punch

6. Make your punch with only sugar-free juices, and diet soda. Vary the combinations by using orange diet soda with 100% fruit juice or diet juice. If it is within the diabetics allowable daily carbs, use the sliced fruit pieces as above. If you use ice-cream, buy the sugar-free kind or try dollops of frozen, sugar-free cool whip atop the punch.

Miscellaneous Tips For Delicious and Pretty Punch:

1. Freeze juice when you make ice-cubes or and ice ring as they will not dilute the flavor of your punch.

2. If you wish, use white grape juice with a single cherry or strawberry in the center of each cube, or placed throughout the ice ring. It looks particularly festive. Make sure if you're freezing a ring that it sits level in the freezer.

3. You can make any of these punches for grown-ups only by adding your favorite alcoholic beverage. Some to try: champagne, vodka, white wine, rum.

4. Make sure you have back-up beverages and ice to keep the bowl full.

Have fun experimenting with your punch expertise!

Karen Chaffee 2008 All Rights Reserved (applies to written material only)