The Mixology Talk Podcast, Episode Sixty Three
Got a crowd? Serve a punch! Here are some great ideas for tasty punches to please a crowd at your holiday gathering.
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In today’s Episode…
It’s all about punch! The drink, that is …
What’s a punch?
As far as we know there is no “standard rule” for what this means. So we googled it. According to Wikipedia it’s a very broad term that usually involves some sort of fruit or fruit juice, but almost always is served in a “punch bowl”.
So we’re going to go with that: anything that can be served in a punch bowl.
The good news is, most things that can be served in a punch bowl are also MADE in a punch bowl. They are super easy to mix and easier to serve – so punches are a great beverage idea for large gatherings of any kind. (Especially because guests serve themselves so you don’t have to bartend all night!)
Hot punches:
Non-Alcoholic Options
- Hot Apple Cider: Starts out tasty, but make it tastier by spiking it with rye whiskey, brandy or calvados. (Brandy is probably the most often added.)
- Hot Chocolate: usually you see people adding Peppermint schnapps but you could try brandy, spiced rum, or other flavored liqueurs like Kahluah or a triple sec.
Bring on the Booze!
- Hot Buttered rum
- Hot Toddy
Getting Creative:
A Few Ideas:
- Cranberry and apple
- Think spices
- Add sparkles
- Oleo saccharum
Tips for Good Punch’in (the drink, that is)
- Watch your sweetness. Using fruit juice as a base is a very easy way to end up with a sickly sweet drink. Pare back the sweetness with soda water or lemon / lime.
- Just Add Water. If you’re scaling up a recipe designed for one cocktail, don’t forget to add water to the recipe. Cocktail recipes usually assume 20% water will be added during stirring or shaking, so if you’re building the drink in a punch bowl, add some water to achieve the right mix.
- Speaking of ice, what I usually do is chill down the drink in the fridge well before serving, to help minimize dilution in the bowl. Then put the chilled drink in the punch bowl and add a large block of ice to keep it cold throughout the party.
- Go to town on the garnish! Use fresh fruit, spices, cinnamon sticks, and rubber duckies – really, have fun. Be careful with non-edible garnishes (like rubber duckies) to avoid choking hazards or dental bills.
Stuff we Mentioned:
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Do you have any other punch recipes that you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below!
I heard that punch came from the Hindi word meaning “five” because it had five ingredients. Alcohol, fruit or fruit juice, sugar, water, and spices. I think it came over from the British East India company’s travels through India.
Oh hey I did not know that thanks! That is a far better explanation 🙂
Most punches improve if you make them two hours (or more) in advance – it gives time for the flavors to meld. The last time that I made Chatham Artillery Punch we drank about 2/3 that night, which was excellent, and then we drank the rest 6 days later – it was even better. If you are interested in punch you could not do better than getting David Wondrich’s book Punch.
The Chatham Artillery Punch, Fish House Punch, the Martha Washington Rum Punch are three that have always worked for us.
Also, the night before, you want to freeze an ‘iceberg’ to float in the punch bowl – a one or two quart ice cube.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013708-original-chatham-artillery-punch