Cranberry Tea

This spiced cranberry tea punch is a crowd-pleaser that makes a full four quarts. Black tea steeped with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves forms a fragrant, warmly spiced base, then cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon juice bring layers of tart, sweet, and citrusy brightness.

Steeping the tea with the whole spices for just five minutes extracts the cinnamon and clove flavor without making the tea bitter. Longer steeping pulls too many tannins from the tea bags and overpowers the fruit juices.

The sugar dissolves easily in the hot tea concentrate. Stirring it in while the liquid is still warm ensures a smooth, fully sweetened punch without any gritty sugar settling at the bottom of the pitcher.

Chef Tips

• Strain everything through a fine wire-mesh strainer. Leftover clove bits or tea leaf fragments floating in the punch look messy and taste gritty.
• Make the tea concentrate ahead and chill it before adding the juices and water. This keeps the ice from melting too fast and diluting the punch.
• Taste before adding all the sugar. Depending on your cranberry juice brand, you may want less.

Variations

• Serve warm in mugs instead of over ice for a cozy holiday version.
• Add a splash of ginger ale just before serving for a fizzy, sparkling punch.
• Swap sugar for honey and reduce the amount for a less sweet, more natural version.