Cranberry and Mint Tea Holiday Punch

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Bigelow Tea. 

All opinions are mine alone.

This Cranberry and Mint Holiday Punch is perfect for all of your holiday gatherings.

The base of it is Bigelow's Plantation Mint Tea...one of my favorite blends!

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I love a good holiday drink. This one not only marries the flavors of the season, but also the colors! The Bigelow Plantation Mint Tea is the perfect flavor for this...so subtle, but so delicious. Check out the recipe, along with the history of this tea blend, below.

I've loved Bigelow's Plantation Mint Tea for years...in the summer, it makes the perfect southern sweet tea {a staple in Texas}. I'm loving this recipe to use Plantation Mint during the holidays as well. The way this blend was born is such a sweet story, too.

Pictured above is Eunice Bigelow

{I took this photo at the Bigelow Tea Headquarters last month}

Eunice Bigelow knew that her mother-in-law, Ruth Bigelow, was a fan of peppermint. But, Eunice loved spearmint. Every time Eunice mentioned spearmint to Ruth, she didn't show much interest. So, Eunice took matters into her own hands. She and her husband, David Bigelow, started experimenting with the flavors behind closed doors. They tried tea after tea to find the perfect combination. Then they set out to find a spearmint grown in the USA. They fell in love with one from a farm out west. Once their perfect blend was created, they had to figure out how to share it with Ruth...and they were a bit nervous. David came up with the perfect plan. On Mother's Day that year, they gave Ruth her gift, the very first box of Plantation Mint! She gave them a funny look and then decided to try it. She LOVED it! They still smile about that story many years later.

{source: Bigelow Tea}

You can pick up a box of Bigelow's Plantation Mint Tea at Walmart. Bigelow Tea is All American: 100% American made by an American Family; an American Company for the American consumer. Available at an American Retailer.

This punch starts with a simple syrup made from sugar, water and cranberries.
Oh, how I love to hear cranberries popping on the stove top!

The simple syrup is strained...but I try to get as much juice out of all of the berries as I can by using the back of my spoon on them in the strainer.

Then I pour my brewed Plantation Mint Tea over the cranberries as well, so it can go into the same bowl with the cranberry simple syrup. Here's the complete recipe:

Cranberry and Mint Holiday Punch

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• five bags of Bigelow Plantation Mint Tea
• four cups of boiling water
• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries {you can set a few aside for garnish, if you like}
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 2 limes
• mint leaves
• 1 liter bottle of club soda

Directions:

Begin by pouring your boiling water over your tea bags in a large glass measuring cup, or a small bowl {4 cup size}. Allow it to steep while you turn your attention to the cranberry simple syrup {it will steep quite a bit longer than for a normal cup of tea}.

Pour cranberries, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat to boiling and allow cranberries to start popping for a minute or two. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow mixture to come to room temperature.

Strain your cranberry syrup into a large batter bowl {not required to use this bowl...it just makes it easier to pour later}. Use the back of a spoon to mash the cranberries and get all of the juice you can out of them. It starts to look a bit pulpy in the strainer and that's okay. Pour your steeped tea over the pulp, through the strainer, and into the large bowl with the cranberry simple syrup.

To serve, you can either use a punch bowl or just prepare in individual glasses. Start with juicing the two limes into the punch bowl, or adding a teaspoon of lime juice into the bottom of each glass. The lime just gives this punch a nice kick. Add fresh mint leaves to your punch bowl or glasses {about five leaves per glass}. Add ice and pour your cranberry and tea mixture in the punch bowl, or about halfway up each glass. Top with the club soda and serve. Can garnish with extra cranberries, if desired. 

This is a really light and lovely holiday drink.

And aren't the colors so pretty?

This drink is just one more reason for me to love Plantation Mint tea.

For more TEA-riffic inspiration, check out Bigelow's Facebook page here and

their Twitter page here.

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