• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fresh Flavorful

  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Cocktails

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch

Published: Dec 1, 2017 · Modified: Nov 15, 2023 by Tristin Rieken · 18 Comments

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch is a fresh large batch holiday cocktail made with ripe grapefruit and citrus juices, cranberry, tequila and soda. You’ll be the hit of all your holiday parties when you arrive with a big ‘ole punch bowl full of this light fizzy punch.

This cranberry cocktail recipe is based on tequila paloma cocktail.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Jump to:
  • Big batch paloma punch
  • Ingredients
  • Step by step instructions
  • How to make ahead of time
  • How to serve
  • Yield
  • 📖 Recipe

Big batch paloma punch

Inspired by both the Paloma cocktail and retro party punches this large batch cocktail is fresh, fruity, fizzy and delicious!

Beautiful, in season ripe grapefruit combined with other juicy citrus, cranberry, tequila and Squirt® Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch is a fresh large-batch holiday cocktail.

The tart cranberry, lime and grapefruit balance the sweetness from the fresh squeezed orange juice and grapefruit citrus soda for a light refreshing holiday punch.

Two punch glasses by a punch bowl of cranberry paloma punch.

Traditional paloma cocktails are the most popular tequila-based cocktail in Mexico and are made with tequila and grapefruit soda. This winter paloma punch recipe plays off the same combination of flavors but adds in fresh cranberry puree to give it even more flavor and color. Making it the perfect large batch cocktail recipe for winter parties when both citrus and cranberry are in season.

Serving a crowd of drinkers and non drinkers? Punches are a perfect non alcoholic beverage option or mocktail, that you can also choose to turn into a cocktail if desired. If you’re serving a variety of people simply leave the tequila out for an alcohol free winter citrus punch.

Then leave a bottle or two of tequila nearby for guests to spike their glasses as desired.

Beautiful, in season ripe grapefruit combined with other juicy citrus, cranberry, tequila and Squirt® Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch is a fresh large-batch holiday cocktail.

Ingredients

  • Fresh cranberries – to make cranberry puree, or substitute 100% unsweetened cranberry juice. There’s always an open but barely used bag of cranberries in my fridge over the holidays and I love that this delicious punch makes good use of them in three ways. Whole cranberries in the ice, pureed cranberries in the punch and ground cranberries in the garnish.
  • Grapefruit juice – fresh squeezed or unsweetened bottled juice
  • Orange juice – fresh squeezed or purchased
  • Lime juice – fresh squeezed
  • Tequila – blanco preffered
  • Squirt® – or other grapefruit soda.
  • Ice

Step by step instructions

Simply build this big batch cocktail directly in the punchbowl.

  1. Prepare ingredients by making fresh cranberry puree and squeezing orange, grapefruit and lime juice. The fresh cranberry puree and fresh fruit juices add an amazing flavor that can not be replicated. But in a pinch you can substitute cranberry juice and bottled grapefruit, orange and lime juice.
  2. Add ice to punchbowl.
Vintage punch bowl with citrus and cranberry ice ring.
  1. Pour in the fresh cranberry puree.
Cranberry puree in punch bowl.
  1. Then add fresh grapefruit, lime, and orange juices.
Fresh fruit juices and cranberry puree in a punch bowl.
  1. Add tequila, including more or less than the recipe calls for depending on your tastes and what sort of holiday soiree you’re throwing. I suggest anywhere from 1.5-3 cups tequila.
Tequila, fruit juice and cranberry puree on ice in a punch bowl.
  1. Finish with grapefruit soda.
Cranberry citrus paloma punch in a punch bowl all fizzy and ready to be enjoyed.
  1. Serve and enjoy!
Beautiful, in season ripe grapefruit combined with other juicy citrus, cranberry, tequila and Squirt® Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch is a fresh large-batch holiday cocktail.

How to make ahead of time

To make this Paloma Punch ahead of time simply mix all ingredients except soda and ice in punchbowl. Then top with soda and add ice immediately before serving so that the ice stays whole and the soda stays fizzy.

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch #ad

How to serve

Large batch cocktails like this punch are perfect for parties because they’re an excellent way to feature a fun themed beverage without playing bartender all night. Simply mix it all up ahead of time and let your guests serve themselves!

Include garnishes like citrus slices, cocktail straws and even some pink cranberry salt to rim the glasses with. Because even big batch cocktails and punches still deserve beautiful finishing touches 😉

The Pink Cranberry Salt is simply a mix of tart cranberries, salt and a little sugar. The mix of tart, salty and sweet plays on the traditional tajin rim. Add in some some spicy chili powder like ancho chili or cayenne.

Serve paloma punch with pink cranberry salt to rim the punch glasses and extra tequila on the side.

Citrus and cranberry ice rounds are a play off the traditional ice ring. But they are even better because the small muffin-tin sized ice rounds fit perfectly in the punch glasses and they keep the punch cold for hours.

Also include an extra a 2 liter of Squirt next to the punch bowl to freshen up the paloma punch as needed. And you can even include a bottle of tequila on the side for people who want to add even more tequila.

Side view of a vintage punch bowl filled with cranberry paloma punch with a bottle of grapefruit  soda in the background.

Yield

This paloma punch recipe yields roughly 120 ounces of punch, or about 15 liquid cups. Standard punch glasses are anywhere from 4-6 ounces each. Which means that this recipe makes 20-30 servings of punch, enough for about 10-15 people.

If you’re looking for a single serving paloma check out this Cranberry Paloma or this delicious Rhubarb Paloma Cocktail.

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of vintage cut glass punch bowl with citrus slices and citrus and cranberry ice cubes in the beautiful bright pink cranberry paloma punch.

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch

Beautiful, in season ripe grapefruit combined with other juicy citrus, cranberry, tequila and Squirt® Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch is a fresh large-batch holiday cocktail.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 127kcal
Author: Tristin Rieken

Ingredients

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch

  • ½ cup cranberry puree or 1 cup 100% cranberry juice, unsweetened
  • 2 cups grapefruit juice fresh squeezed or unsweetened
  • ½ cup orange juice fresh squeezed from 2 medium naval oranges
  • 1 cup lime juice fresh squeezed from 6-8 limes
  • 2 cups tequila blanco
  • 2 liters grapefruit soda like Squirt®
  • 4 cups ice

Fresh Cranberry Puree

  • ¾ cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons water

Sweet Cranberry Salt

  • 3 fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup sugar

Instructions

  • Prepare cranberry puree by blending cranberries until smooth, adding water as needed to get the mixture moving.
  • Pulse salt, sugar and a few cranberries in a food processor or blender about 5 times until it's the texture of wet sand to make Sweet Cranberry Salt. Set aside. 
  • Build punch in the bowl of your serving dish.  Fill with citrus and cranberry ice then add cranberry puree and citrus juices.
  • Serve with a dish of salt and grapefruit or lime wedges to salt the rim. 

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Sodium: 1426mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 14.2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Made this recipe? Please share!Mention @freshflavorful or tag #FreshFlavorfulLife
Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127
% Daily Value*
Sodium 1426mg62%
Potassium 72mg2%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Sugar 16g18%
Vitamin A 20IU0%
Vitamin C 14.2mg17%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Love, Tristin

Pin for later!

Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch big batch cocktail for holiday parties fresh cranberry puree citrus ice cubes vintage tequila punch #ad

More Cocktails

  • Frothy egg white cocktail recipe made with lilac syrup served with an edible lilac garnish.
    Floral Fizz Lilac Cocktail
  • Lime in the Coconut Drink
  • Orange Dream - an orange creamsicle cocktail
    Orange Creamsicle Cocktail
  • Light blush pink mimosa in a coup glass with a bottle of champagne in the background and garnished with a rhubarb ribbon.
    Rhubarb Mimosa
4009 shares
  • Share36
  • Tweet

If you make this or any of Fresh Flavorful recipes be sure to share! Tag @freshflavorful on instagram or post a photo to the Fresh Flavorful Life Facebook page. Can't wait to see what you're making!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.68 from 28 votes (23 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Beth

    October 05, 2018 at 11:15 am

    5 stars
    My sister gave me her vintage cut glass punch bowl and I have been trying to come up with something to do in it! I can’t wait to try this for the holidays! It’s so beautiful! I love the way you did the ice too! What a nice touch! Great post!

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      October 09, 2018 at 11:25 am

      Thanks so much Beth! I love a good big batch cocktail and they’re especially fun when served up with retro charm!

      Reply
  2. Crystal

    October 07, 2018 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    I’m really disappointed that I won’t be getting any of this at the wedding I’ll be at tonight, because it looks great (and might make dealing with my family easier!).

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      October 09, 2018 at 11:23 am

      hahahhahaha!! I hope the wedding wasn’t completely dry and you found something to quench your thirst 😉

      Reply
  3. Jacqueline

    October 08, 2018 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    What a fabulous sounding punch. I’m going to pin it for my next party! Your photos are fab too!

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      October 09, 2018 at 11:22 am

      Oh my gosh, Thank you sooo much Jacqueline!! And thanks for pinning 🙂 I appreciate it!

      Reply
  4. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale

    October 08, 2018 at 4:47 am

    5 stars
    The colors in this punch are BEAUTIFUL!! This is so perfect for entertaining. I am saving this recipe for my next dinner party!

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      October 09, 2018 at 11:22 am

      Thanks, Katie!! It’s such a great change up from typical punch. I mean, everyone loves a good tequila cocktail, no?

      Reply
  5. Julie @ Running in a Skirt

    October 08, 2018 at 6:52 am

    5 stars
    I just cleaned out my kitchen and spent 10 minutes convincing my husband that we NEEDED to keep the huge punch bowl. THIS is why! What a gorgeous delish drink. Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      October 09, 2018 at 11:21 am

      Right?! I’ve been searching all over for this punch bowl and I realized that it’s my mom’s and I already returned it to her ;( Time to either borrow it back or have fun searching for one of my own.

      Reply
  6. Robbie Taylor

    August 19, 2019 at 3:03 am

    How would it be possible to serve this in a huge drink dispenser for extremely large groups? Like a 3 gallon drink dispenser? Would you add all ingredients except the Squirt and then top it off with it once you have it in the cup? I would love to BIG BATCH this for my sons wedding reception! Look wonderful!!

    Reply
    • ONE armed MAMA

      August 20, 2019 at 3:01 pm

      Absolutely! This sounds like a perfect beverage for a wedding, at least the ones I like to be invited to! 🙂 This recipe makes around 1 gallon of punch, enough for twenty 6 ounce servings. I have a small punch bowl but typical punch bowls are around 2-3 gallons and would require a double or triple batch of punch. Depending on how involved you want the guests to be you could absolutely top it off with squirt in the cup, or simply triple the recipe and mix before serving. It will stay fizzy and delicious for quite a while.

      Reply
  7. Nicole W

    November 09, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    This look amazing! Definitely making for my Christmas party. Do you have a recipe for a single Paloma?

    Reply
    • Tristin Rieken

      November 11, 2023 at 11:35 am

      Thanks so much for your comment Nicole, I’m actually working on a single serving Cranberry Paloma recipe now 🙂

      Reply
      • Tristin Rieken

        November 15, 2023 at 7:40 am

        Single serving cranberry paloma recipe –> https://freshflavorful.com/cranberry-paloma/

        Reply
  8. Liz

    December 10, 2023 at 6:53 pm

    This sounds yum! Could it work with vodka or gin? I think making a non-alcoholic version and letting people add their preferred spirit could work as I have friends who won’t touch tequila

    Reply
    • Tristin Rieken

      December 11, 2023 at 8:44 am

      Absolutely! Vodka and grapefruit (and all the other citrus) would be delicious and like a classic greyhound cocktail. You could absolutely mix it up without any alcohol and include some bottles off to the side of the punch for your guests to mix up their drinks however they desire 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Tristin Rieken, Welcome to Fresh Flavorful where I hope to inspire you with simple seasonal recipes and ideas to eat deliciously, entertain easily and adventure often.

More about me →

Popular

  • Fresh bright purple cookies with white chocolate stacked on a tray with frozen blueberries scattered around in addition to the blueberry cookie tray.
    Chewy Blueberry Cookies

  • Cranberry cookies that are bright maroon red and covered with coarse sanding sugar to look like sparkling sugar plums are stacked high on a plate with fresh cranberries scattered around the foreground.
    Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies

  • Banana Chiffon Cake a light, fluffy cake with tender bite and rich banana flavor. chiffon cake | chiffon cake recipe | chiffon cake with lemon glaze | ripe banana recipes
    Banana Chiffon Cake

  • Bright purple blackberry iced tea with cream garnished with lavender and fresh blackberries
    Blackberry Tea Iced Tea Latte

  • Stack of cool, creamy, chewy, crunchy rocky road chocolate macaron ice cream sandwiches.
    Rocky Road Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

  • Overhead view of vintage cut glass punch bowl with citrus slices and citrus and cranberry ice cubes in the beautiful bright pink cranberry paloma punch.
    Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch

Seasonal

  • Candied Rhubarb Ribbons are the perfect chewy, sweet rhubarb recipe to enjoy as a snack or as a garnish for desserts and cocktails. candied rhubarb | sugared rhubarb | rhubarb recipe | dried rhubarb
    How to make Candied Rhubarb Ribbons

  • A mason jar filled with pink grapefruit and rhubarb paloma cocktail garnished with a rhubarb ribbon.
    Rhubarb Paloma Cocktail

  • Rhubarb Crumble on a blue plate with a scoop of bright white vanilla ice cream.
    Quick Rhubarb Crumble

  • Rhubarb simple syrup in a jar with strips of fresh rhubarb.
    Rhubarb Simple Syrup

See more Rhubarb →

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Fresh Flavorful on the Feast Plugin

4009 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.