One of the most popular items at any holiday party is the punch. There's just something really festive about serving party at a punch, no matter what the occasion. Guests tend to gather around the punch bowl, and often chat about what might be in the holiday punch recipe.

What better way to celebrate the holiday season with your friends than with a delicious cranberry recipe for punch that can be served chilled or hot? The interesting spices in this unusual holiday punch will keep your guests guessing about the secret ingredients all night long.

Festive Spiced Cranberry Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of cranberry juice cocktail
• 2 cans of pineapple juice (46 ounces)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, stirring well to dissolve sugar.

Chilled Version:

To enjoy Festive Cranberry punch chilled, simply refrigerate the punch mixture until party time, and then place in a punch bowl over ice. Be sure to stir the mixture before serving, just in case some of the ingredients have settled.

Adult Version:

To convert the chilled version to a cocktail, simply add vodka.

Hot Version:

For the hot version of this festive holiday punch recipe, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and simmer on low for 4-6 hours before the party. You can keep the slow cooker on throughout the event if necessary.

Adult Version

To convert the hot version to a hot toddy cocktail, add rum or bourbon.

Serving Suggestion for Holiday Parties:

It's a good idea to have spiked and unspiked versions of punch on hand at your holiday parties, particularly if there will be children and/or designated drivers at the party. Better yet, don't include any liquor in the punch bowl itself. Instead, place bottles of vodka, rum, and/or bourbon beside the punch bowl, and let guests who enjoy party cocktails add their own liquor to their drinks.