Our New Year Punch is a spiced apple sparkler that everyone will enjoy. If you prefer, substitute ginger ale for the champagne.
For a fancy touch, rim the glasses with cinnamon-sugar. (See below.)
Ingredients
4 cups apple juice or apple cider
6 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods, broken
1 cinnamon stick
1 bottle sparkling wine or champagne
apple slices, for garnish
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine apple juice and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then chill overnight in a large pitcher.
Strain spiced juice into a punch bowl and add sparkling wine. Just before serving, add ice.
If desired, rim the glasses with cinnamon-sugar. In a bowl, combine 1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar. Wet edge of glass in apple juice, then dip into cinnamon-sugar. (You can also buy cinnamon-sugar mix in the spice aisle at the supermarket.)
