a perfect punch to share

When asked to write some "Sweet Sips to Share" recipes for the winter issue of Fort Worth Foodie, I wanted to put interesting, yet simple twists on seemingly traditional seasonal drinks:

cider, eggnog, cocktails and holiday punch.

My mother made a simple punch last Christmas with blood orange Italian soda, lime juice and white rum. It was bubbly, tart, not-too-sweet and festive.

For my rendition of the recipe, I added the intense juice from kaffir limes along with several dashes of bitters to add complexity to the punch flavor.

Blood Orange + White Rum Punch

with Kaffir Lime

Yields 4-6 servings

4 cups blood orange Italian soda

Juice of 2 kaffir limes, plus additional slices to garnish

1.5 cups white rum

4 -6 dashes of bitters

frozen blood orange slices, to garnish if desired

Combine all ingredients.

Serve in a vintage punch bowl with frozen blood orange slices to keep the punch chilled.

Hello, gorgeous.

photo courtesy of Kari Crowe

Or, serve individually from a chilled pitcher with kaffir lime rounds.

Happy sipping!