Make this refreshing and nostalgic sherbet party punch with tropical flavor notes of pineapple, ginger, guava, and lime! It's the perfect cold drink for summer gatherings.
My mother was the queen of semi-homemade magic and, for some reason, I took great pride in her being asked to make her greatest hits for baby showers, summer parties, and my dad's office potlucks--the latter usually at the last minute. Sherbet punch was one such dish and I've become the go-to person in my circle to make it in my adulthood. After a certain point, it became no recipe, just vibes. So I made sure to document the last few versions in order to serve up a formula you can follow here. Let's get into it!
Need more recipe ideas for summer parties? Try these, too.
This soda float punch is a classic southern church cookbook recipe that typically calls for rainbow (or some other flavor) sherbet plus a fruit--flavored soda. Lemon lime soda is common so many of us are familiar with 7Up or Sprite punch. Don't sleep on ginger ale, though! Sherbet punch with ginger ale and pineapple juice is a hit every single time. File this under one old school party recipes and check out the full ingredient list below.
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Making this easy big batch party drink is simple. It's a tropical punch recipe with pineapple, ginger, lime, and guava. Here's what to add to your grocery list.
- Fresh Limes
- Fresh Mint
- Ginger Ale
- Guava Nectar
- Mango Nectar
- Maraschino Cherries
- Pineapple Juice
- Pineapple Sherbet
You can make this sherbet punch with alcohol of just about any kind depending on your preference. Keep it light with a fruity liqueur or make it strong with rum or tequila. This makes for a great twist on rum punch, by the way.
As far as tools, you'll also need a cutting board, as well as a sharp knife. Grab your citrus juicer for all the limes and, of course, an ice cream scoop!
So what does it taste like?
Prepare for a truly tropical flavor bomb to explode in your mouth! My family calls it "sparkling pineapple punch" which rolls off the tongue nicely but doesn't quite paint the full picture. There's a double dose of pineapple from the sherbet and the juice. But the ginger ale adds a subtle sharpness that tones down the sweetness of the sherbet. And the pineapple and lime juices add tartness. This baby shower punch also has a lovely, rich mouthfeel because of the melted sherbet and thick guava nectar.
Tips for this Recipe
- Chill all ingredients ahead of time. The frozen sherbet will help keep things cool, which makes it an easy punch for a party as you don't need to worry about ice. That said, start out with every single ingredient being as cold as possible.
- Can I make this punch ahead of time? Absolutely. Just combine all ingredients except for the sherbet and garnishes then refrigerate. Scoop out the sherbet, give it a stir, and add garnishes just before serving.
- What else can I add to my punch? You can really customize this to suit your taste, which means switching out the soda, nectar, juice, or sherbet. Sparkling water is a good soda substitute if you'd like to make your punch lighter and lower on sugar!
- Can I use other sherbet flavors? Absolutely! Lime and orange sherbet would work well here. Also, Hawaiian Punch + rainbow sherbet is a longstanding southern punch recipe that hits the mark on simplicity.
- Slap the mint! This brings out the mint oil, which holds all the refreshing flavor, so give each leaf a slap before adding to your punch and serving.
How to Serve this Punch
This vintage punch recipe is best served from a large punch bowl with a ladle for scooping. Bridal showers are some of the more frequent events I make it for and because they're so busy, it can be tempting to use a beverage dispenser. But the punch's thicker texture inevitably clogs up the spout so I always recommend a bowl.
Garnishes are optional but so much fun and an easy way to make the punch pop. Sliced citrus floats well on top. I'm partial to mint leaves and maraschino cherries, as pictured, because they finish the look of a giant ice cream sundae.
I hope this fizzy summer punch makes your next gathering a big hit. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin my ice cream punch recipe and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
My Tropical Sherbet Punch Recipe
Tropical Sherbet Punch
Ingredients
- 1 quart pineapple sherbet frozen
- 2 liters ginger ale chilled
- 33 ounces mango nectar chilled
- 2 cups pineapple juice chilled
- 12 ounces guava nectar chilled
- 4 limes
- maraschino cherries optional garnish
- mint leaves optional garnish
Instructions
- Scoop sherbet out into a large punch bowl.
- Pour in pineapple juice, mango and guava nectars, and ginger ale. Mix ingredients well to form a uniform punch.
- Garnish punch with fresh mint leaves and maraschino cherries, as desired.
- The punch will separate into two distinct layers over time: an orange/pink liquid on the bottom and a yellow, foamy layer on top. Scooping the punch from bottom to top will get some of each layer. Otherwise, just stir to mix it up again.
Notes
- Chill all ingredients ahead of time. The frozen sherbet will help keep things cool, which makes it an easy punch for a party as you don't need to worry about ice. That said, start out with every single ingredient being as cold as possible.
- Can I make this punch ahead of time? Absolutely. Just combine all ingredients except for the sherbet and garnishes then refrigerate. Scoop out the sherbet, give it a stir, and add garnishes just before serving.
- What else can I add to my punch? You can really customize this to suit your taste, which means switching out the soda, nectar, juice, or sherbet. Sparkling water is a good soda substitute if you'd like to make your punch lighter and lower on sugar!
- Can I use other sherbet flavors? Absolutely! Lime and orange sherbet would work well here. Also, Hawaiian Punch + rainbow sherbet is a longstanding southern punch recipe that hits the mark on simplicity.
- Slap the mint! This brings out the mint oil, which holds all the refreshing flavor, so give each leaf a slap before adding to your punch and serving.
Immaculate says
A few of my favourite fruits in one. This sherbet was tasty and refreshing, just what I needed in this crazy hot summer.
Kaluhi says
This was absolutely perfect and eeeeeveryone loved it!!! I love guava and this reminded me of being back home in Western Kenya!
Carita says
We are experiencing really hot weather here and I was in need a cool but tasty treat. I made this for my family and we loved it. The guava nectar and pineapple juice was the perfect blend of sweet and tart. Will absolutely make this again!
Robin Sparks says
I'm so grateful I came across this recipe! I adored sherbet punch as a kid but using ginger ale instead of lemon-lime soda elevated the classic for my more sophisticated, adult audience. Everyone raved about it.
Marta says
I made a double batch of this tropical sherbet punch to serve at our 4th of July cookout. Everyone loved how it "took them to the islands" in the middle of Texas. This will be on the menu for future gatherings.
Chenée says
This sherbet punch took me back to childhood in the best way! But this one is way better than the ones we used to have -- the tropical flavors are incredible and the slight bite from the ginger ale was perfect!
Britney Brown-Chamberlain says
This recipe was so much fun to make. I made this for my girls night and it was a huge hit, very delicious!
nicole says
The guava in this is just *chef's kiss* YUM!