You are out of ideas in the beverage department, and the party at your place is tomorrow. Fret no more as these punch recipes, with and without alcohol, are suited for any occasion. You can serve ginger ale punch at a baby shower, bridal shower, a kid's birthday party, a cocktail party, or even concoct a glassful just for yourself when the heat outside is getting you down. These can be prepared in a jiffy. It is the fizz in ginger ale that'll add that pizazz to your drink, while the other ingredients in the punch will cut out monotony. Without Alcohol It is said that punch as a drink was originally an Indian beverage that was made from five ingredients―water, lemon, tea or spices, spirit, and sugar. It was, therefore, called 'paanch' in Hindi meaning five. When the Britishers came to India, they immensely liked the zingy taste of the drink and took 'paanch' as 'punch' to their country with the name modified due to accent constraints. Banana Ginger Ale Punch I love bananas and, therefore, I love this punch recipe. For this liquid banana delight, you'll need,

• Ginger ale, 1 quart
• Bananas, 5 (squashed in a mixer)
• Water, 7 cups
• Pineapple juice, 46 oz.
• Lemonade concentrate, 6 oz. (frozen)
• Orange juice concentrate, 6 oz. (frozen)
• Sugar, 3½ cups

Procedure Begin with pouring the water into a large vessel and place on the stove. Add the sugar to this and keep stirring until a steady boil sets it. Allow the solution to boil for like 5 to 7 minutes, and then remove it from heat and allow the heat to dissipate. Once the solution is cool enough, add the bananas, water, pineapple juice, and the lemonade and orange juice concentrates to this solution, and mix thoroughly until you have a smooth liquid at hand. Now, refrigerate the solution. Take this out from the freezer only about 3 hours before you plan to serve it, and add the ginger ale to it. You can float whole orange carpels and apple slices on the punch while serving. Orange Sherbet Ginger Ale Punch This is one of the great, yet simple punch recipes that will definitely be loved by summer-harassed kids. To make it for a group as large as 24, you must gather,

• Orange sherbet, 1 pint
• Ginger ale, 3 cups (chilled)
• Cranberry juice, 5 cups (chilled)
• Pineapple juice, 5 cups (chilled)
• White grape juice, 5 cups (chilled)

Procedure In a container, mix all the liquids together till you get a uniform solution. Pour this into a glass punch bowl. Now, scoop out orange sherbet and put them into the punch. The scoops will look like floating balls in the liquid. A good to drink and visually alluring punch for kids. Spicy Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch If making for 10 people, make sure you have,

• Ginger ale, 1 bottle (chilled)
• Cranberry juice cocktail, 1 quart
• Pineapple juice, 1 can (unsweetened variety)
• Cinnamon sticks, 6 (1" long)
• Cloves, 2 tsp.
• Allspice, 2 tsp. (whole)
• Sugar, ⅔ cup
• Salt, ¼ tsp.

Procedure In a large and deep pan, pour the juices, throw in the spices and sugar, and then season with salt. Allow this to steadily simmer for like ten whole minutes, while stirring often. After that, strain the solution and refrigerate for a while. Add the ginger ale to this just before serving. Dreamy Orange Ginger Ale Punch This is a great bridal shower punch to serve, especially if you are planning to become a summer bride soon. Gather,

• Ginger ale, 2 liters
• Orange juice concentrate, 6 oz. (frozen)
• Orange sherbet, ½ gallon

Procedure In a large bowl, pour the orange juice concentrate along with the sherbet together and wait for like 20 minutes or so for them to melt. Once they have thawed, add the ginger ale, stir well, and serve. Ginger Ale Punch With Alcohol Aztec Ginger Ale Punch They say vodka mixed drinks are always the best in the world. Taste this concoction and you'll know why. You'll need,

• Rum, 7 oz.
• Vodka, 5 oz.
• Ginger ale, 1 bottle
• Lemonade concentrate, 1 can
• Ice cubes

Procedure You seriously have to do nothing but mix all the liquids together in a punch bowl and drop in the ice cubes. You'll know what a kick is after you've tasted this. Champagne Ginger Ale Punch This sophisticated punch is perfect for a kitty party. You must have,

• Ginger ale, 1 quart (chilled)
• Pineapple juice, 2 cups (unsweetened variety)
• Dry champagne, 1500 ml. (chilled)
• Triple sec curaçao, 1 cup
• Brandy, 1 cup
• Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, ½ cup

Procedure First, blend together the pineapple juice, the curaçao, the brandy, and the Chambord in a large vessel. Place the vessel in the fridge, covered, and let it chill for about 5 hours. Before serving, pour this mixture into a punch bowl along with the champagne and ginger ale and stir well. Throw in some ice cubes to keep the punch all chilled. You can try mixing and matching your own set of ingredients and come up with a sheer winner. That's the great thing about ginger ale punches. So, do let me know if you come up with something new, as culinary art evolves only when someone somewhere dares to try something perceived as bizarre!