One benefit of quarantine is that I’ve had a lot more time to test out new cocktail recipes! In case y’all don’t remember my Elderflower French 75 recipe from New Year’s, I’ve been on a huge elderflower cocktail kick for the past few seasons. Case in point, this amazingly delicious sparkling citrus punch with lemonade ice cubes! I found the recipe in an old Southern Living magazine (March 2018 edition, to be exact) and tweaked the sweetness just a tad to make it a little more dry. Not exaggerating, it may be my favorite big-batch cocktail of all time. Keep reading for the full sparkling citrus punch recipe, including tips on how to make refreshing lemonade ice cubes. You’ll also find affordable outfit details at the very bottom of the post!

Sparkling Citrus Punch Recipe

This sparkling citrus punch will be a guaranteed crowd pleaser at your next post-COVID get-together. Or, if you’re anything like me and Kyle, you can keep the entire pitcher to yourself and enjoy it over the course of a weekend. Here’s everything you’ll need to serve 6 (multiply everything by 2 to fill a standard pitcher)–

• 1 bottle sparkling Moscato (substitute Cava or Prosecco for less sweetness)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (from 3 large oranges)
• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice (from 1 small grapefruit)
• 1/4 cup St. Germain
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

To make a batch of this sparkling citrus punch, simply combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Again, I double everything because A. it’s delicious and B. this pitcher looks a little sad when it’s only half full. Finally, add your homemade lemonade ice cubes (recipe below) and serve immediately. 

Tip- use one bottle of sparkling Moscato and one bottle of Cava or Prosecco for the perfect blend of sweet and dry. 

Oh, and I like to throw a lemon or lime slice on each glass as a garnish, too. If you’re out of fresh citrus slices, lemon peel twists look great, as well!

How to Make Lemonade Ice Cubes

These colorful and refreshing lemonade ice cubes help keep the sparkling wine punch cold without diluting it. The citrus slices add some fun pops of color, too! Here’s what you’ll need to make a tray–

• Ice cube tray– I used this smaller ice mold tray, but you can also use a 6, 8, or 12-cube ice tray for larger, whiskey-esque ice cubes. 
• 2 cups prepared lemonade– I highly recommend using Belvoir Organic Elderflower Lemonade. It compliments the punch perfectly.
• Thinly sliced lemon and lime wedges– You can also add in orange and grapefruit wedges, too. 

To make a tray of lemonade ice cubes, arrange thinly-sliced lemon and lime wedges in the bottom of the ice cube tray. Then, fill the tray with prepared lemonade (should be around 2 cups, although it may be more or less) and freeze until solid. Letting them sit overnight is always a good idea, although 5 hours in the freezer should be enough if you want to make and use them in the same day. 

Also, any prepared lemonade will do, but Belvoir Organic Elderflower Lemonade is literally perfect for this recipe. It’s made with real English elderflower, so it pairs wonderfully with the St. Germain.

Again, this recipe serves 6, so if you double up on ingredients like I do, this big-batch cocktail can serve up to 12. That said, be sure to make enough lemonade ice cubes! They do an amazing job of keeping the drink cool without diluting it– and they add fun citrus slices to the glasses, too!

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Shop the Look: Lemon-Print Sleeveless Shirtdress (wearing a 00) | Espadrille Wedges | Gold Smile Pendant Necklace (Kyle bought me the Tiffany version for our anniversary, but you can find a more budget-friendly version here) | Large Pearl Stud Earrings

Thanks so much for reading, y’all! As always, please let me know if you have any problems with the recipe. I’m happy to help!
 

 
Photography by Catherine Rhodes