Ginger apple punch: a festive pitcher for the whole table

This punch gives you a real drink to hold at any gathering, something spiced and festive that you mixed yourself and know is clean, so you can raise a glass right along with everyone else.

It stirs together in 5 minutes in a single pitcher. Apple juice and a clean ginger beer make the base, warmed with mace, cinnamon, ground ginger, and clove. Ginger has long been used to settle the stomach and is a source of gingerol, a compound studied for its role in calming nausea. The sweetness here comes entirely from the juice and ginger beer, so pour it in a smaller glass if you are watching sugar, and let the cranberries, genuinely low in natural sugar, do double duty as garnish and a tart bite.

Make it beautiful. Float the cranberries so they bob, lay an orange wheel against the ice, and pour it where everyone can see. A drink made with care, in a glass that looks like everyone else's, is a small and real pleasure.

Ingredients

• 4 cups apple juice
• 4 cups ginger beer (clean-label, alcohol-free, real-ginger)
• 3/4 tsp ground mace (permitted in ARM, kept in)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves (permitted in ARM, kept in)
• (allspice omitted for AIP per the source's own flag)
• 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen, for the glasses
• 1 small orange, thinly sliced, for the glasses

Method

In a large pitcher, stir together the apple juice, ginger beer, mace, cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves until the spices are evenly mixed through.

Fill glasses with ice. Drop in a few cranberries and an orange slice, then pour the punch over the top and serve right away while it is cold and lively.

A note on garnish and spice

Apple slices or a cinnamon stick also work as a garnish if you want a different look. If you prefer a softer ginger bite, hold back some of the ginger beer and top each glass to taste.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*