Thanksgiving Ginger Apple Sparkling Punch

Well, here it is: my first blog recipe! Last night, some friends of mine held our first annual "Friend's Thanksgiving". Yay for being adults! We were all asked to bring a dish to share, and after covering the basics (garlic mashed potatoes, yo) that freed me up to also bring some BOOZE! I've wasted many an hour browsing Pinterest, aka the downfall of women everywhere, and I can't help but be taken in by all the delightfully tempting holiday recipes that are available. I narrowed my search down to some kind of punch, maybe apple, maybe orange? However, being the stubborn, inventive person I am, I just had to put my personal touch on whatever I decided to do. My inspiration came in the form of a free 2-litre of Sierra Mist that came with my pizza: homemade ginger ale! My finished product was a sparkling-wine-ginger-ale-apple-cider-cinnamon punch. Like Thanksgiving threw up in a punch bowl...it was delicious, I promise. So, here it is!

What I used:
1 liter of apple cider (I like Trader Joes the best)
2-3 sticks of cinnamon
5-6 whole cloves
1 cup of water
3/4 cup sugar
2-2 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (adjust for level of spiciness)
1 1/2 cups Sprite or similar
1 bottle of dry sparkling wine

How I made it:
First, make the ginger syrup. Combine the water and the sugar in a smallish saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Be careful here not to boil it for too long, or the syrup will be more like caramel...trust me...remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium pot, combine the apple cider, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer with a lid for as long as you want, to make the cinnamon-clove-y flavor stronger or not as strong. I did mine for about 30 minutes on low heat. Yum.

Here is where it gets tricky, because this is a cold punch. After I steeped my apple cider, I mixed the ginger syrup and the cider together and let it chill overnight. You could, theoretically, replace the wine and sprite with like a cup (or two) of spiced rum right then and there while you're warming the cider the stove and call it a day. Nothing wrong with that, I won't be offended. But if you want to make the punch that I did, you're gonna need to factor in chilling time.

After you've let your ginger cider chill you're on the home stretch! Immediately before you leave for your party (or leave the kitchen to sit and watch TV in your pajamas - it's ok, no judgement here), pour the last two ingredients into your punch pitcher/bowl/really big personal glass. Do this slowly of course (hello, you're pouring two bubbly liquids together) and stir gently. Need I say anything more? ENJOY!

*Some notes*
If you so desire, feel free to use fresh cut up ginger in place of the powdered stuff, simmer at a lower temperature for 15-20 minutes and strain.
I left the cinnamon sticks and cloves in my punch for it's entire existence, just to keep the flavor strong. I used one of those pitchers with the built in strainer, so that kept the loose ingredients on the bottom.
I recommend waiting as long as possible to add your soda and wine to the mix because you want to try to preserve the carbonation. You might even want to bring your cider, soda and wine seperate to wherever you end up and add them at the last minute before you serve your delicious beverage to your adoring fans!

The final result is a sweet, spicy, fizzy delicious concoction that could even pass for healthy with all that ginger. Or at least that's what I told my mom. Serves about 12-15 champagne flute servings...or three Natalee servings. Cheers!