The holiday season is a time for warmth, cheer, friendship, family, and—most importantly—delicious drinks. Ok, so maybe drinks aren’t the most important part of a great holiday season. But having a delectable drink in hand while you chat around the fireplace or dance to holiday tunes at your family Christmas party is the icing on the fruitcake. For those who prefer alcohol-free drinks, this non-alcoholic jingle juice recipe is the perfect option.
What Is Jingle Juice or Christmas Punch?
Jingle juice, also known as Christmas punch, is the yuletide version of jungle juice, a college party classic. Like regular punch, it’s often saccharine and spiked with alcohol. However, it can be made with alcohol-free alternatives as well!
When you search for “non-alcoholic jingle juice,” “jingle juice recipe non-alcoholic,” “non-alcoholic Christmas punch” or a similar rendition of these queries, what will you find? Oddly, most of the search results are recipes that still contain alcohol!
We shouldn’t be so surprised. Even for people who don’t drink much during the year, the holidays seem to be a time when the booze flow freely. But it’s time for alcoholic holiday cocktails to take a seat!
Will JingleJuice Without Alcohol Still Feel Euphoric?
Are there drinks other than alcoholic that can support socializing and relaxing at holiday parties? Of course!
These are drinks that aren’t alcoholic but won’t make you feel like you belong at the kid’s table; drinks that can keep you dancing all night long; drinks that you can sip to deflect from your great aunt’s prying questions about your personal life; drinks that are delicious, festive, and functional, but don’t contain any alcohol!
Jingle juice made with kratom leaf tea can be all of the above. You’ve probably never seen it at a holiday party before, yet people have been drinking less-festive versions of this drink for centuries to socialize and relax.
Many non-alcoholic cocktail recipes for the holidays just replace booze with extra fruit juice, soda, or zero-proof liquor. You probably won’t feel much more than a temporary sugar rush or caffeine jolt from these drinks. Meanwhile, this kratom jingle juice recipe can have a noticeable and sustained effect on your mind and body!
Non-Alcoholic Jingle Juice Ingredients
How do you make jingle juice? Kratom Jingle Juice is a festive cocktail that combines the unique properties of kratom tea with traditional holiday flavors like cranberry, orange, and cinnamon. Here’s a closer look at a few of the ingredients.
Jingle juice and Christmas punch recipes vary as widely as recipes for eggnog, latkes, tamales, and other holiday treats do (though the topic of what belongs in jingle juice is probably far less contentious). At the basic level, Christmas punch contains cranberries (whole or juiced, fresh or frozen), a bit of citrus, and something sparkling. Oh, and a lot of alcohol.
In fact, some Christmas punch recipes have more than three kinds of alcohol mixed together! These mixes may include rum, orange liqueur (such as Triple Sec or Cointreau), red wine, champagne, and vodka.
Now, we are passing absolutely no judgement on those whose want their holiday parties to resemble a frat house on a Saturday night. But what do you do if you are one of those people who don’t want to wake up the next morning with that, “oh man, I’m too old for this…” feeling? We’ve got a suggestion for you!
Swap Out Liquor for Tea Made with Kratom
Tea is a tried-and-true base for many types of non-alcoholic cocktails. From a ginger tea spritzer to an oolong orange fizz, there are hundreds of options. But of all the types of tea that are used in cocktails, one stands out from the rest. It does so not just in its flavor, but also in its effects.
Plain kratom tea has a bitter flavor, which is actually an asset when it comes to making mocktails! It is made from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree.
This tree has been used for centuries in daily life in countries like Thailand and Malaysia. And it’s becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world in situations when you might otherwise drink a cup of coffee or have a beer.
Kratom leaves contain compounds that give the tea unique effects. These can range from energizing to relaxing, depending on the amount and type of tea you consume. If you’re new to kratom, make sure to read our tips about how to consume this jingle juice recipe safely.
Related: What Is Kratom Good For? 18 Reasons You Might Want to Try It (Or Avoid It)
You can use any variety of kratom you prefer to make your non-alcoholic jingle juice. People typically find white vein tea (like Uplift) more energizing, whereas red vein tea (like Unwind) is more relaxing, and green vein tea (Balance) falls in the middle. To add extra Christmas flavor with no effort, swap out 3-4 of the regular tea bags with chai kratom tea bags and skip the whole spices.
How to Rim the Glasses to Add a Frosty Touch to Your Non-Alcoholic Jingle Juice
Rimming the glasses with sugar is a low-effort step with a huge impact. A sugar rim will take your holiday cocktail straight to Level 10 Festiveness!
Add white sugar to a shallow dish that’s wider than your glasses. If desired, you can add 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon to the sugar for a hint of spice. Next, rub a slice of lime along the rim of the glass. Then, gently dip each glass into the sugar.
Instead of lime, you can also rub the rim with a slice of orange. You can even dilute maple syrup or agave with a bit of water and rub the rim with the mixture. This rimming option may be overly sweet for Christmas punch, however.
Responsible Consumption During the Holidays
While kratom can add an exciting element to holiday celebrations, responsible consumption is key. Any drink that supports socialization, mood, motivation, or relaxation can be habit-forming, especially a sugar-laden one.
Though this kratom jingle juice is non-alcoholic, you should still drink it with care and mindfulness. Kratom’s effects vary depending on the number of servings your consume. Especially if you are new to kratom, it’s important to start with a relatively small amount.
If you’re making this Christmas punch recipe for guests, it’s crucial to ensure that they are informed about what they’re drinking. Avoid serving it to anyone who might be sensitive to its effects, such as pregnant women or those taking certain medications.
How Long Does Kratom Christmas Punch Last?
You can store your kratom punch in the fridge for 3-5 days, with a caveat. After 2-3 days, the effects of the tea may be less strong. Kratom alkaloids are acid-labile, meaning that they’ll slowly degrade when combined with the acidic fruit juices.
So your Christmas punch will still taste great after being stored for a few days, but it may not provide as strong of an effect from the kratom leaves. Remember not to add the sparkling cider or non-alcoholic wine until you’re ready to serve it so that it doesn’t go flat.
Kratom Jingle Juice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Brew Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 8-12 kratom tea bags (see note below)
- 6 cups water
- 2 limes, divided (use juice from one and slice the second for garnish)
- 2 cups cranberry or pomegranate juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks, about 3″
- 6-8 tbsp maple syrup (more or less to taste; reduce if using sweetened fruit juice or very sweet sparkling cider; see note below for alternatives)
- 1 25-oz bottle sparkling apple cider or sparkling non-alcoholic wine, chilled
- Optional (for rimming glasses): 4 tbsp white sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and a slice of lime
- 8 cups of ice
Directions
- Prep the fresh cranberries: Rinse the cranberries. Pat them dry and place them on a baking sheet, then put the sheet in the freezer.
- Brew the tea: Add the kratom tea bags, lime juice and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Keep uncovered. After 25 minutes, remove the tea bags. Continue to simmer the tea until about 4 cups of liquid remain, then remove from heat.
- Combine and chill: Transfer the concentrated tea into a large heat-safe jar or pitcher. Add in the cranberry or pomegranate juice, orange juice, maple syrup (if using), and cinnamon sticks. Stir to combine. Leave in the fridge until cold, about 2 hours.
- Rim the glasses: Place sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Rub the rim of cocktail glasses with lime, then gently dip it in the sugar and wiggle it around to coat the entire rim.
- Serve: Serve the kratom tea in a pitcher, jar, or punch bowl. Add ice, frozen cranberries, and sliced lime to the pitcher/jar/bowl or directly into glasses. Pour or ladle the punch into the glasses, about 2/3 of the way full, then top with sparkling apple cider.
- Cheers!
Notes
Tea bags: The number of tea bags you use can significantly affect the Christmas punch’s energizing or relaxing qualities. A smaller amount will typically be energizing, whereas a larger amount will typically be relaxing. For those new to kratom, we recommend you start with 8 tea bags (1 per serving).
Related: New to Kratom Leaf Tea? How to Find Your Ideal Serving Size
Sweetener alternatives: You’ll really only need to add sweetener to this recipe if your fruit juice is unsweetened and/or you’re using a non-alcoholic sparkling wine instead of sparkling apple juice.
Maple syrup adds a distinct and rich flavor to kratom jingle juice, and complements the flavor of the tea really well. It’s a common addition to other classic Christmas punch/jingle juice recipes.
You can swap it out in a 1:1 ratio with agave, white sugar, or brown sugar. You can also use a zero-calorie sweetener like stevia. For stevia, we recommend you start with half the volume of the maple syrup, then you can adjust to taste. If you use a granulated sweetener, mix it into the tea before removing it from the stove so that it dissolves fully.
Other Holiday Recipes You’ll Love
- Speciosa Sangria: Like jingle juice, but with even more fruit flavors.
- Kratom Masala Chai Latte: Dessert in a mug, the perfect spiced drink to sip after your holiday dinner. Don’t forget the whipped cream!
- Iced Chai Latte: Everything you love about a chai latte, but iced to keep you cool while you boogie to holiday music.
- Kratom Golden Milk: Calming and relaxing, this recipe is perfect for winding down after a rambunctious holiday party.
Creating New Holiday Traditions
As we embrace the holiday spirit, it’s exciting to consider how traditional celebrations can be enhanced and transformed. Whether you make a special drink like kratom jingle juice or simply enjoy a warm cup of kratom tea by the fireplace, this herbal brew can add a wonderful dimension to the holiday season.
Incorporating kratom tea into holiday festivities, particularly through delicious recipes like kratom jingle juice, is a novel way to celebrate that could easily become a yearly tradition.
Remember to have an awareness of the tea’s effects and the importance of responsible consumption, just as you would with jingle juice or Christmas punch with alcohol.
