Sparkling Cranberry Punch Recipe

“Punch” sounds so quaint and old-fashioned these days, but I remember it fondly from the ladies’ teas, showers, and wedding receptions of my youth. I can’t think when I last saw a big crystal bowl of punch at an event, but when I made a bowlful of this red holiday beverage for a recent children’s gathering, they fell upon it like dehydrated little monkeys and demanded more. It was bubbly and festive, a good way to avoid serving soda, and a nice change from juice boxes. You can add the frozen strawberries or raspberries as you like. In my house, one son loves the floating, thawing berries, and the other hates them (hmm, like pretty much everything else). I like this punch with seltzer, since all the juices are already pretty sweet, but kids seem to like it best with ginger ale. I remember a friend of my mother’s who made a similar punch and, just before serving, turned a quart of raspberry sherbet into the bowl, where it fizzed and melted. Messy but delicious.