Ponche Navideno Con Vino (Mexican Holiday Punch With Wine)

It isn’t Christmas time without a warm mug of fragrant and fruit loaded Ponche Navideno, with a twist because I am adding wine that makes it extra delicious! Mexican Holiday Punch is a traditional drink that makes an appearance at all the holiday posadas (holiday celebrations that lead up to Christmas) and festivities. Nothing like the smell of simmering fruit in a bath of warm cinnamon and sugar cane to indicate that the holiday season is in full swing.

What is Mexican Ponche Navideno?

Also known as Mexican Holiday Punch this drink is made from a base of jamaica (hibiscus tea) simmered with cinnamon, prunes, orange peel and piloncillo (Raw sugar cane sugar) to that various fruits are added like apples, guavas, fresh sugar cane, tejocotes (Mexican Hawthorn fruit) slowly simmered until everything releases their natural sweetness and a slight acidity. It is served warm and the fruit is enjoyed just as much as the drink itself. It really has such a depth of flavors because of all the different elements.

The origins of this traditional drink has roots that trace back to India to later be adopted by Europeans and finally shared with Latin America where this version was born and infused with their own flavors. The fusion of cultures have all played a role in developing their own versions. Some regions have adapted similar drinks that are served cold rather than hot. Regions would typically utilize the fruit, spices and aromatics that were available to them.

Although the origins of Ponche Navideno seem to have been influenced by different parts of the world it has engrained itself as part of the Mexican holiday tradition, in many homes including mine. Ponche shines light on the hospitality that represents our culture. There is always enough to share and go around. The recipes vary from region to region. One thing is for certain.. It is a drink that has been prepared by families throughout Mexico to celebrate the holidays with something that literally warms you from the inside out. It has stood the test of time because of its incredible flavor and a way to savor the Christmas season with familiar flavors.

Alcoholic vs. Non Alcoholic-

This delicious Ponche Navideno can be enjoyed by all ages! In this recipe I am adding piquete (which means it has alcohol) . It can easily be enjoyed by everyone by reserving a portion before adding the wine. This drink is a whole experience, it is served in a mug loaded with fruit and as you drink you can also enjoy the fruit that soaks up all the flavor. The flavor is warm and just the right amount of sweetness. The jamaica and fruits give it depth and a slight tartness.

Ponche Navideno Con Vino (Mexican Holiday Punch With Wine) wouldn’t be complete without the wine and I am going with a California Red Wine that complements the flavors of this drink perfectly. Usually the ponche is spiked with tequila or rum but wine just elevates everything without overpowering.The addition of wine makes it extra good and fun in my opinion.

Ingredients:

Water- The base to simmer away our holiday punch.

California Red Wine- Usually Ponche Navideno is spiked with tequila but I am giving it a California twist the addition of red wine takes it to the next level. The full bodied structure of California cabernet sauvignon and dark fruit notes really complement this delicious Mexican Holiday punch recipe. This may just be my favorite way to jazz up my drink. Look at the California Wine website for a list of delicious and sustainable wine options.

Jamaica– Also known as hibiscus, you can find dried hibiscus in the tea section but look for it at your local latin store there is a section with bagged spices you will find it there. Jamiaca gives the Ponche slight tart berry flavors and a beautiful color.

Piloncillo/ Raw sugar cane: This is the sweetener in our recipe and makes ALL the difference in the delicious result. Mostly found in Latin markets piloncillo comes in single wrapped cones or smaller packaged ones. It’s a solid mass that can melt down to a liquid. This sweetener is best measured by weight because of its different shape. But what exactly is piloncillo? Piloncillo is an unrefined sweetener that is made from sugar cane. It’s boiled down to a syrup, it is then added to molds and left to harden. The result is a complex sweetener with notes of caramel and rich brown sugar.

Cinnamon sticks: To enrich our Mexican Ponche Navideno, cinnamon bark is a must! Not only does this make the house amazing. We use cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon for a more intense flavor. The cinnamon stick will slowly simmer in water extracting all the delightful and rich flavors and aroma.

Apples- Not only do the apples bring a delicious texture and flavor to our Holiday ponche, they add sweetness while soaking all the delicious flavors that simmer away.

Tejocotes/ Mexican Hawthorn – Also a relative to apples, tecojotes are always found in traditional Mexican Ponche Navideno. As they simmer they release a slight tartness that balances out the sweetness. This time a year they are very commonly found. They can also be replaced with pear in this recipe.

Fresh sugar cane- Fresh sugar cane is all about texture! The fresh sugar cane gets chopped into small pieces that soak up all the flavors like little sponges. You don’t eat the sugar cane rather you chew it, releasing all the sweetness and flavor. What is left behind can be discarded.

Prunes- Dried prunes add complexity and slight sweet and tart flavor as they cook down they are such a treat to eat amongst all the other fruit.

Guava- As the fresh guava cook down the aroma and tropical flavor intensifies.

Orange peel- Adds in citrusy notes as well as enhancing the aroma.

Can Fruit Be Substituted?

One of the great parts of this recipe, is that there is really no wrong way to make a delicious Ponche Navideno. Feel free to substitute for your favorite fruits and what is available near your area and omit those that you can’t find. For example tejocotes may be a little trickier to find in certain areas, substituting with pear is a great option. For the fresh sugar cane, it is oftentimes also found frozen or in a jar, those would work just fine. All of the ingredients are commonly found at the Latin markets. One important thing to note is not to over simmer the Ponche, the fruit should be soft but still hold its shape. Add the fruit that takes longer to soften early on in the cooking process. Overall the process to make this spectacular drink is really straight forward!

This time of the year it is time to slow down and enjoy all the flavors of the season. Like sipping on this Mexican Holiday Punch with California Red Wine, surrounded by family and good food. What makes this drink so special? It is warm, loaded with fruit and overall comforting on a cold day. What an incredible blessing to keep traditions alive, and as we love on the recipes that are passed down it is always so fun to put our own twists on the classics.

This post is a paid partnership with California Wine, all opinions expressed are my own. Check out more delicious recipes using California Wine at DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com