I asked ChatGPT for a hot grape punch drink recipe for a Bonfire Night I was holding as a I hate mulled wine but love the concept and wanted something similar everyone could drink, as we had children, nursing mothers and drivers in the crew. It gave me one and we fiddled with the ingredients and the recipe to reflect things you can actually buy in British supermarkets.

I really liked the grape recipe as given, but I was informed by all of the taste testers that changing the ratios to be equal grape and apple juice was better (and some preferred a higher apple ratio). The recipe below therefore has equal amounts of grape and apple juice, but if you want it to be more grapey or more appley, just skew the ratio 2:1 in either direction.

 

*Hot Grape Punch*

Ingredients:

– 150 ml grape juice (we have also used “red forest juice” from Lidl but this required some additional sweetener)
– 150 ml apple juice
– 50 ml orange juice
– 1 tsp of the peel (if you are using a carton, we used a box of candied fruit peel to similar effect)
– half a cinnamon stick
– half a star anise pod
– 4 old cloves

Instructions:

1. *Combine Ingredients*: In a large pot, combine the grape juice, apple juice, and orange juice. Add in the orange zest.

2. *Add Spices*: Toss in the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and star anise.

3. *Sweeten*: Depending on the sweetness of your grape juice, add honey or syrup to taste. You can always add more later.

4. *Heat*: Put the pot on the stove and heat the mixture over medium-low heat. Allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Do not boil, as boiling may cause the juice to lose some of its nuanced flavours.

5. *Simmer*: Let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavours to blend together.

6. *Serve*: Once heated through and fragrant, strain the punch to remove the whole spices and orange zest. Pour into mugs and serve warm.

7. *Enjoy!* This punch is perfect for cold evenings or gatherings. The aroma from the warm spices and the sweet taste of the grape juice will surely be a hit.

Remember to adjust the sweetness to your liking, as grape juice can vary in sweetness.