Tizana (Venezuelan Fruit Punch)
My recipe for Venezuelan tizana is sure to brighten up your day! With thin slices of fresh fruit, mixed juices, and a hint of grenadine, it’s naturally sweet, refreshing, and energizing. It’s not just any fruit drink — it’s summer deliciousness in a glass!
I’m thrilled to share one of my all-time favorite Venezuelan recipes: the delicious tizana! This vibrant thirst quencher is incredibly easy to make and fully customizable to your taste. Best of all, it’s bursting with so much flavor — you get the natural sweetness of ripe fruit with a zesty, citrusy tang in every sip. (My kids can’t get enough!) Happy sipping!
~Kristen
What is Tizana?
This Venezuelan fruit punch is a beloved beverage made with chopped fresh fruit, grenadine syrup, and fruit juices. It’s a refreshingly tasty drink with a distinctive reddish hue, enjoyed year-round in Venezuela and served on various occasions, from birthdays and outings to casual gatherings.
Tizana is believed to have been influenced by Spanish sangria, though it contains no alcohol unless you choose to spike it with rum, vodka, or wine (such as prosecco or champagne) for a more ‘adult’ version of the drink.
Ingredient Notes
Please note that this is just a quick overview. Head to the full recipe for the amounts and instructions!
Orange Juice: Serves as a primary liquid base that naturally sweetens the drink without any additional sugar. It also has tart, citrusy notes that complement the flavors of the fruit.
Pineapple Juice: Adds a tropical flair to the drink that enhances its freshness.
Grenadine: Adds sweetness and gives the drink its signature rosy-red color.
Lime Juice: Its natural acidity balances the sweetness of the grenadine and ripe fruit, keeping the drink from being too sweet and cloying. If you do not have lime juice, lemon juice will get the job done!
Fresh Fruit: Tizana’s signature flavor, texture, and presentation come from its fruit blend, which also boosts its nutrition. My favorite mix includes apples, pineapples, watermelon, ripe mangoes, strawberries, bananas, and seedless red grapes, but you can customize it to your taste!
Sparkling Water: Optional; it adds a light fizz to the tizana when serving, giving it a soda-like quality without adding extra sugar. You can also use club soda for this purpose if preferred.
How to Make Tizana
01
CHOP
Prepare the fruit.
02
COMBINE LIQUIDS
Combine the fruit juices and grenadine in a large bowl, pitcher, or punch bowl. Mix well.
03
ADD FRUIT
Add the fruit, then chill the punch in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
04
SERVE
Serve the fruit punch cold with a spoon, or add ice and a splash of sparkling water to a glass before filling it with tizana.
How to Serve This Refreshing Fruit Punch
- Served best with a spoon for scooping up all the delicious fruit.
- Garnished with fresh mint leaves or fruit slices (like orange or lime) on top.
- In a large punch bowl with a ladle so guests can serve themselves.
- Blended with ice (like a tropical slushie) and drizzled with grenadine on top.
- Paired with arepas with cheese, plantains, or other amazing Venezuelan foods.
Expert Tips
- Cut the fruits uniformly to enhance the drink’s visual appeal and ensure that every sip or spoonful contains a balance of fruit flavors.
- Other fruits that are a great choice for this recipe include:
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Guava
- Honeydew melon
- Blueberries
- Pear
- Dragon Fruit
- Peaches
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Tizana Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup grenadine
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 apples diced small, red or green
- 1 cup pineapple diced small
- 1 cup watermelon diced small
- 1 cup mango diced small
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1 ripe banana sliced
- 1 cup seedless grapes halved
- sparkling water optional, for fizz when serving
Instructions
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and lime juice.
- Add the prepared apples, pineapple, watermelon, mango, strawberries, banana, and grapes to the juice mixture.
- Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
- Optionally, add ice and a splash of sparkling water to a glass before filling it with some tizana.
- Serve cold with a spoon.
- Enjoy!