Now that we talked about the punch bowl, you may be wondering what punch should you try? Here are some basic recipes for punches that can start you off. I’m using my grandmother’s recipes that were made for home gatherings, so they are not punch on an epic scale. Over the years we’ve fancified a few of them. You can always just look at the ingredients and simplify them. These will each generally serve between six to a dozen people, (though I added one larger fancy punch).
These recipes are nice for casual, homey gatherings as the ingredients are easy to get at the grocery store. The Citrus Champagne punch is really lovely if you want something festive for New Years but your budget doesn’t run to a dozen bottles of fine champagne for a group of friends. The Fancy Champagne punch requires more champagne, but it’s oh so good. I loved to serve champagne punches at brunches, (punches for brunches, ha-ha, maybe that’ll be the next installment of this series) because everyone gets a nice kick without actually getting shit-faced.
All punch should come with the caveat that the recipe is “to taste”. If you like a stronger punch, add more alcohol, sweeter, add a little simple syrup to the mix. You can double just about all of these punches if you have a larger party.
A couple of notes: For chilled punches, all the ingredients should be chilled before you add them. Yes, you’ll be adding ice, but you still want every ingredient to be cold. For hot punches, the ingredients should be room temperature when you begin, unless the recipe says otherwise.
All chilled punches are prettier with an ice ring, but ice cubes are fine, though they will melt much faster. For this, take your punch right out of the fridge, add a little ice and then add more as necessary. For an ice ring all you have to do is freeze your water in a ring mold or use a bundt pan. A nice touch is to fill half way, freeze and then add fruit or edible flowers to the ring, fill with water and freeze. It’s so pretty. You can also freeze lemonade for a lemon punch, etc. match the flavor of the ice to the punch, so that as it melts your drinks aren’t too watered down. In a few of these recipes I’ve added instructions for the ice ring we traditionally used.
Important note: Punch was not meant to taste like a cocktail. If one could taste alcohol strongly, it likely had too much. Punch was meant to be drunk in copious amounts. During a ball one would have had numerous cups. Every guest would drink from the same bowl, so you had to account for everyone from teens to seniors drinking multiple cups. Too much alcohol would have laid many guests flat on their asses. Remember this when you make your own punch. If it’s to be the primary drink at a party, you want people to have multiple glasses each, so keep the alcohol per glass low. If it’s a punch that’s replacing a cocktail and each person will only have one or two, you can up the alcohol accordingly.
Rose Punch
Rose punch was a staple of weddings and bridal showers. It is a lovely color, (some add pink coloring to the punch, I avoid this generally) with a complex, old fashioned flavor. It has just enough alcohol to put people in a good mood, but not enough to have them wearing lampshades. While the Victorian’s loved rose and violet flavored sweets, it’s more of an acquired taste today. Just something to keep in mind if you’re planning to serve the punch to people who don’t like unique flavors.
Ice Ring
Edible Rose Petals or Flowers
Lime Perrier
Place Petals in mold and pour lime Perrier over just to cover. Freeze. Fill mold to top with Perrier.
Punch:
1 cup Lemon juice
1 cup superfine sugar
1 quart apple juice
1/2 cup grenadine or cassis syrup
1/4 cup rose water
2 bottles sparkling rose wine
2 quarts ginger ale
Mix sugar and lemon juice together, until dissolved. Add apple juice, grenadine or cassis and rose water. Refrigerate until chilled. Before serving, put apple mix in the bowl. Add Rose, then ginger ale. Float Ring.
Cranberry Punch
This punch has all the usual party flavors and will delight just about anyone.
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups orange juice
3/4 cups lemon juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup vodka
mint leaves for garnish, optional
Combine all of the ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator. Before the party; pour into the punch bowl, add an ice ring or ice cubes, toss on a few mint leaves if you so choose and serve.
Citrus Champagne Punch
This is a light punch, there isn’t much in the way of alcohol but it’s still festive for an event that might require activities after. If your friends like a little more kick, pour over the whole bottle of champagne. Serves six.
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, (3/4 of a cup)
6 ounces frozen pineapple juice concentrate, (3/4 of a cup)
2 cups water
2 cups ginger ale
1 cup lemon Perrier or Pellegrino
1/2 bottle dry champagne
In the punchbowl, mix lemonade, pineapple juice and water and chill. Just before serving, add ginger ale and sparkling water and stir. Add ice cubes or ice ring, (candied ginger in the ice cubes or ice ring is particularly nice with this). Pour the champagne over the punch, give it a quick stir with the punch ladle and you’re ready to go.
Fancy Champagne Punch
This will serve over 20 people and was a favorite for New Years Eve parties in my dad’s family. For this punch, you’ll need to make an ice ring by pouring pink lemonade in a mold and letting it freeze.
For the punch:
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cups lemon juice
3 cups cream sherry
1 cup Kirschwasser
3 bottles Champagne
4 cups, (1 liter) ginger ale
Mix sugar and lemon juice together, until dissolved. Add the sherry and kirsch. Refrigerate until you’re ready for guests. Just before serving, put sherry kirsch mix in the bowl. Add Champagne then the ginger ale. Float the ring on top. Drink!
In a brilliant act of double duty, my family used the remaining kirschwasser later in a cheese fondue which came out at the end of the evening. Everyone agreed that bread and cheese were a terrific way to sober up a crowd at the end of an evening. I’m not vouching for the veracity of that statement, but people do seem to like it
Creole Punch
This comes from my mother’s side of the family. Traditionally it was served in a hollowed out ice block with the bowl inset. It serves a ten to a dozen people.
Quick Note: I say Perrier because that’s what I use, but any sparkling lime mineral water will do. In my Mother’s Day lime peel would be added to bubbling water to infuse it with flavor. This might even be a club soda instead of mineral water. So feel free to use what is to your own taste.
Ice Ring
Lime Perrier
Lime slices
Place lime slices in mold and pour lime Perrier over just to cover. Freeze. Fill mold to top with Perrier. Freeze.
Punch
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 cups bourbon
1/2 cup unsulphered crystalized ginger, roughly chopped
1 cup pernod
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters
4 cups orange juice
4 cups ginger ale
Mix sugar and lime juice together in a container, until dissolved. Add candied ginger stirring gently. Let stand to allow the ginger to soften for fifteen minutes. Add bourbon and then refrigerate until chilled. Before the party, pour the refrigerated bourbon mix in a bowl. Add Pernod, bitters, orange juice then ginger ale. Float ring on top. Drink!
Rum Fruit Punch
Ok, this is the fanciest of spring/summer punches. It’s perfect for showers and fancy outdoor parties as it’s very pretty. It resembles sangria in appearance, but make sure people know it’s not because this packs a wallop. It serves a dozen guests.
Ice Ring
Strawberries
Blueberries
Maraschino Cherries
Lemon Perrier
Place strawberries in mold with a little Perrier, just to cover. Let freeze. Next place a layer of blueberries down with Perrier and let freeze. Finally layer with maraschino cherries and fill to the top and freeze.
Punch
1/2 cup rum
2 cup golden rum (light rum will do)
2 cups apricot brandy
2 cups grapefruit juice
2 cups apricot nectar
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
2 cups lemonade
2 cups tonic with quinine, (club soda will do if you don’t like tonic)
Mix together all ingredients except tonic. Let marinate in a container in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Pour into punch bowl just before serving. Add tonic and ice ring.
Fall Punch
This is a nice punch for Halloween. You can float apple slices or crabapples on the top. If you don’t have a punch bowl this can be served in a pitcher. This will serve 6-8 people.
2 cups good Apple cider
2 cups Cranberry juice
2 cups Ginger ale
2 cups golden rum
Mix together and chill in the refrigerator. Before serving, pour into bowl. You can serve rum on the side.
Tom And Jerry
Tom and Jerry is a rum punch that dates back to Victorian times. It’s basically warm egg nog. Now I know that sounds terrible, but it is actually lovely and warming on a cold night. There are many variations and this is just one. This serves 6-8 people.
4 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar, (in two 1/2 cup measurements)
1 cup light rum
6 cups boiling water
Nutmeg
Beat egg whites and salt until stiff. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat some more. You want stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks unit thick. Slowly add the other 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until the mix is light and well incorporated.
Combine the egg mixes in the punch bowl. Just before serving add the rum and boiling water. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.
I hope you are able to get together with your family or friends to have punch soon. Sending you love and Happy New Year!
