I can’t remember the last time I was at a gathering and there was a non-alcoholic punch offered to those who don’t want to (or aren’t old enough to) drink alcohol. Actually… yes I can. It was when I was a kid at Christmas and my Dad would make this tea and fruit punch. I don’t know why people don’t make fun punches very often anymore. These days, you see bottles of soda or iced tea left out as a non-alcoholic option for party-goers, but a punch like my Dad’s tea and fruit punch is so much more inviting and lets the guests know that some special thought has been given to them as well.

The ingredients for Dad’s tea punch are not hard to find. The only thing you need to do ahead of time is brew some black tea. You can do this a day beforehand or several hours before and let it cool or, if you’re in a hurry, brew very strong tea and then dilute it with ice cubes. This will cool it down much more quickly. Then, you have some slicing and juicing left to do, but the rest of the recipe is just pour and stir.