Growing up, we always knew it was going to be a special party when the Waterford crystal punch bowl came out of the dining room hutch. The bowl and matching cups would be cleaned and dried until they shined. Right before the first guests were due to arrive, the punch bowl would disappear into the kitchen and that's when the magic would happen. The punch bowl would reappear, filled with a gloriously technicolor sherbet punch that looked like a party in a bowl and tasted even better. It's so easy, you almost don't need a recipe.
Just Combine Sherbet And Soda
Here's the secret, though: Sherbet punch is the easiest punch in the world. Simply scoop out a carton of rainbow sherbet – while you may be tempted to dump the carton, scooping it bit by bit is important – into a punch bowl. Then pour over a two-liter bottle of soda. When the bubbles hit the sherbet, the combination fizzes up, melting and bubbling into a pastel-colored, sugary dream sure to add a bright splash of color to a party table. Garnish glasses with fresh fruit, if you like and, as kids these days would say, you'll have a totally Instagrammable punch.
Play With Punch Ingredients
This show-stopping punch is not only easy, but also easy to play around with. All it requires is rainbow sherbet – or fruit sorbet – and ginger ale, 7Up, Sprite, or any fruit soda or combination of soda, juice, or fruit punch. Feel free to experiment, as it's nearly impossible to go wrong when you're combining sherbet and soda. Once you've mastered rainbow sherbet's pastel punch, fiddle around with the recipe. Try lemon sorbet in Hawaiian Punch with club soda, rainbow sherbet in pink lemonade with club soda, or raspberry sorbet with ginger ale. Or, if you know kids won't be tempted, throw in a few cups of champagne for an adorable adult beverage.
Here are more ingredients you can add to sherbet punch:
- Fruit juices like pineapple juice or frozen orange juice concentrate
- Sliced fruit like strawberries, oranges, or limes
- Garnishes like raspberries, cherries, mint leaves, or mini marshmallows
Get Creative With More Recipes
If you prefer to stick to a recipe, use these for your next event or as inspiration for your own version:
- Nana’s Lime Sherbet Punch: If a punch bowl is too much for a small gathering, this recipe makes individual servings for a more intimate group.
- Lemon-Lime-Rosemary Punch: This twist on the retro drink uses rosemary for an herb-infused drink.
- Rainbow Sherbet Punch: A combination of juices and sodas makes this colorful punch both sweet and tart.
- Fruit Variations: Surprise guests with unexpected flavor combinations by using homemade sherbet, like watermelon or blackberry.
Punch Up Your Presentation
A little prep work ahead of the party will add a charming touch to your punch bowl. In advance, pre-scoop the sherbet and freeze the scoops in a muffin tin up to two days in advance. To serve, stir drink ingredients together in the punch bowl, and then add the frozen scoops along with slices of fruit.
Tailor Punch For Any Event
The cotton-candy-colored drink is perfect for baby showers, bridal parties, or Valentine's Day shindigs. To tailor your punch for another holiday or event, think about using special ingredients like cranberry juice for Christmas or creepy candy for Halloween. Find ingredients that reflect school colors for the Friday night football game. But because it's so easy and so delicious, there's no real reason to save sherbet punch for special occasions. Bring your rainbow sherbet punch to a Sunday supper or a church potluck, and you'll have people gathered around the punch bowl in no time.
This article was written by Melissa Locker from Southern Living and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
