Packing A Punch
You’re hosting a holiday party or having your boys over to watch the big game. Festivities begin and you’re stuck tending bar as orders come in for Negronis, Mojitos, Old Fashioneds, Cosmos—and that pesky Aunt Gertrude even wants a Pink Squirrel. Goodbyes come and go and you realize you never talked to your long-lost cousin or that you missed the game-winning touchdown.
As hosts we aim to please, but short of hiring a bartender it’s hard to appease a thirsty crowd and still party along with them. That is, unless you consider the original mixed drink: punch. Long before cocktails, people fixed up concoctions far more complex—and they did it on a large plan. It’s the pre-prepared, one-and-done solution that makes every guest their own server once you hand them a cup.
The format came west from India four centuries ago to a huge welcome, especially from the English. And it crossed all walks of life. Punch was ubiquitous enough that authors from Daniel Defoe to Jonathan Swift to Henry Fielding to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens featured it in their novels. A famous work by artist/satirist William Hogarth depicts a raucous evening of punch-fueled revelry. The signing of the constitution of the United States of America was toasted with punch.
Despite the connotations of pugilism that the name evokes, dictionaries typically cite panca, the Sanskrit word for five, as its origin. It references the five basic components of what was then a typical punch: spirit, sweet, sour, spice and water. The other possible derivation is the term puncheon, a large cask for transporting liquid. This suggests that sailors made their onboard tipple in such a vessel, which has a capacity of 80 to 120 gallons. For a house party, that’s a lot even by frat-boy standards.
With the hundreds of different recipes available and the dozens of possible ingredients, it’s hard to put punch into neat categories. If it contains lemon juice, orange juice, pineapples, Benedictine, tea and grenadine, what kind of punch is it? The easiest way to sort is by spirit (and sometimes wine). Spirits aren’t technically the base of these drinks because they shouldn’t overshadow the whole. But they are convenient jumping-off places that often point the way to what the tenor of the punch will be in a way that fruit juices, sugars and liqueurs will not. The choice of spirits base is as wide as your liquor cabinet. But if you want to go really old school—that is, back to punch’s subcontinental roots—there’s arrack, a spirit made from any source of sugar (say coconut, beets or sugar cane). However, it’s not typically available in your corner package store. A related alternative is very easily obtained here, one that comes with
historical creds: rum. Britain discovered punch and rum in tandem during the 17th century and so the spirit informed many of the early recipes. Moreover, most rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of refining sugar cane. Want to get closer to the cane source? Try rhum agricole, a type of rum that comes from the French Caribbean and is made directly from sugar cane juice.
Using rum is a bang-for-your-buck proposition. Even super-premium versions (for example, Bacardi 8), are priced similarly to lesser examples of other spirits. You might also blend different rum types. If a light rum tends to disappear in the mix, add a darker version for more depth. Such spiced rums as the Kraken, Captain Morgan, Canerock and Sailor Jerry can provide a portion of zest. (If you’re making a Prohibition punch, zero-proof “rums” are also available, although they are not the cost-savers you might think.) Planter’s Punch, with a wide blend of flavors, including allspice, is the classic.
Brandy has long been a punch favorite in England. (Consider that such illustrious Cognacs as Hardy, Hennessy and Hine are named not for their French producers, but for the Brits who imported them.) As such, many of the early tonier punches had brandy as their spirits quotient. It would have been smoother than the raw rum of the era. Its delicate and complex notes pair well with fruit, but aren’t as flavor-forward as whiskey. Eighteenth-century swells might have insisted on Cognac for their preferred base of grape spirit in a punch, but you can choose such wallet-friendly American brands as Korbel, Gallo and Christian Bros. If you lean towards France, stick to solid, entry-level VS options. The nuances of an XO will be lost in the sauce. The many brandy recipes even include a brandy milk punch, but that’s more like eggnog. Those that blend Cognac and Champagne suggest a Gallic version of the French 75.
While creamy Irish liqueurs weren’t invented until the 1970s, the island has a punch tradition that reaches back centuries. Irish whiskey is often associated with hot punches, yet its hearty but sweet-and-smooth character has a lot to offer in a cool bowl. Blends such as Jameson, Powers and Tullamore D.E.W. play well with fruits and spice. Such single-pot-still varieties as Redbreast and Green Spot bring a malty depth. The Irish Whiskey Punch is your chance to blend tea with whiskey.
Scotch whisky didn’t become a punch go-to until the nineteenth century when the drink was broadly legalized and consistent blends replaced what had often been unreliable moonshine. As such, the punches that arose were often made with classic examples of blended Scotch, such as Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker or Usher’s. Today, a wide array of single malts in varying ages are available (at a steeper price, naturally). This allows choosing brands for their particular taste profiles, be they flowery, fruity, malty etc. And, of course, you can go full smoke with peaty Islay malts such as Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The danger there is that smoke is not to everyone’s taste. Furthermore, it’s hard to maintain the desired balance with the other parts of the punch. English mixologist Charlotte Voisey introduced Scotch whisky to apple juice and lemonade as well as tea in her Royal Balmoral Punch.
Punch containing American whiskey was similarly late to the table as applejack was the spirit of choice during the colonial era. A distillate of hard apple cider, it was plentiful on the east coast and blended well with rum and wine in the punch bowl. Other than a small coterie of craft distillers, Laird is the primary remaining producer.
Quality whiskey—straight Bourbon and rye—came into prominence in the nineteenth century, and American whiskey was more widely used for early spirit-heavy cocktails—the Old Fashioned, Sazerac and, later, the Manhattan. That notwithstanding, straight whiskeys can make excellent punch. Rye and Bourbon both bring a range of savory, woody notes. The former adds piquant spiciness, which complements the sweetness of punch. The latter has caramel and toffee charms that offset a classic punch’s sour and spice. In choosing a label stick to the straight standard, meaning it was strictly aged in new charred oak. Look for at least four years of age. Bonded whiskey, at 100 proof, is a treat, but be wary of cask-strength types that can throw off your recipes (and sock your guests with more of an uppercut than they expected) given their proofs of more than 120. Bourbon Street Punch is fruity with orange, lime and pineapple juices.
Gin is a sprightly choice for the punch bowl. Now, something of a mark of refinement because of its association with the glittering Martini, gin was the drink of London’s rabble during the gin craze of the seventeenth century. Essentially unregulated and poor in quality, gin from those darker ages was made by more than a thousand backyard distillers and could be flavored with turpentine. One can imagine the urge to drown it in punches to kill the taste. Today, with the use of the purifying column still, we have clean gin, infused with complex and sophisticated herbal aromatics, most dominantly juniper. The many flavors, rather than needing to be masked, encourage sublime partnerships with other components like citrus and spice. The dean of bartenders, Jerry Thomas, included raspberry syrup in his Gin Punch.
While not technically a spirit, wine is another popular alcohol base for punch. The category offers a much wider flavor range (white, red and rosé, just for starters) than any one type of spirit and melds well with fruit and mulling spice in particular. Be mindful that it will lessen the alcohol kick. Then again, that might be the intention. If not, blending it with spirits, brandy or rum will maintain the punch’s punch. Champagne makes for an elegant punch, but one problem with sparkling wines is that they lose their bubbles over time in the wide mouth of a punch bowl. Therefore, add it only when the party starts. Scrooge suggests Smoking Bishop—claret, Port, cinnamon and cloves—to Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol.
Punch 101
Despite the myriad options, a few rules apply to whatever punch you make.
Pregame Obviously, mixing during the festivities would defeat the purpose of a punch, but another reason to get a jump on your drink is that the ingredients also need melding for at least a few hours and (better) as much as a day. Rest the mixture for an hour at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator. Having extra time also affords the opportunity to test the results and fine tune.
Balance Whether you’re strict about the original five-ingredient formula or not, the immutable attribute of punch should be balance. No component should stand out. A cocktail is a spirit that’s been modified. A punch is a mélange of flavors that should meld into one. Follow whatever recipe appeals to you, but taste it and adjust to maintain that equilibrium.
Presentation Lack of equipment often puts off the would-be punch doctor. Many fine punch bowls are available, but one isn’t necessary—you might even wish to skip one entirely. The communal bowl can get a little sloppy and poses potential hygienic problems. Other options include a pitcher paired with the standard four-ounce cups that allow guests to serve themselves.
Ice Even if your recipe doesn’t include pure liquid water, H2O is a concern in another form: ice. Melting ice dilutes the once-perfect balance over time. Use block ice to slow the process. (If you’re making a punch, think ahead and make your own block. A Tupperware container can make this a breeze.) Another advantage to the pitcher is that it can be kept in a bath of ice water or the refrigerator. Provide ice cubes for those who demand it.
Now sit back and enjoy the fruits (and spirits and spices and sweets) of your labor.
