Admit it. When you spy a bowl of punch at a holiday party, you see the liquid equivalent of the dreaded fruitcake. Sweet and technically edible, but really just crap.
Which is a shame, since punch was once among the most beloved beverages — and not just by pirates and piratical fraternity partygoers. We're talking old-moneyed Europeans and American arrivistes alike. And for good reason. I can't think of a more civilized — and civilizing — way to celebrate the holidays than friends and family gathered around a big bowl of excellent punch.
It helps to think of punch as really just a ginormous cocktail that everyone happens to share. And is a hell of a lot easier on the party's host, who won't be stuck shaking and stirring individual drinks for guests.
Now it's great if you have an exquisite sterling silver punch bowl lying around, but a big stainless steel mixing bowl works just fine. And in the absence of a snazzy ladle, a plastic soup ladle or even spare measuring cup works in a pinch. Remember: it's not the quality of the gear that matters, but that of the punch ingredients — and even more — the fellow drinkers.
Among my favorite punches, especially for the holidays, is Chatham Artillery Punch. Way old-school, this Civil War-era punch was named for the oldest U.S. regiment in Georgia. Tasty and potent stuff, as I semi-recall from a New Year's party at our house a couple years ago. For nippier nights, few things can beat a bowl of Hot Mulled Apple Cider and Brandy Punch. The recipe below is from Dan Searing's nifty new book, The Punch Bowl: 75 Recipes Spanning Four Centuries of Wanton Revelry (Sterling Epicure).
Chatham Artillery Punch
Makes about 25 drinks
Ingredients:
8 lemons
1 pound superfine sugar
750-milliliter bottle rye (bourbon will do in a pinch)
750-milliliter bottle Cognac
750-milliliter bottle dark Jamaican rum
3 bottles Champagne or other sparkling wine
Whole nutmeg
Directions:
1. Squeeze and strain the lemons to make 16 ounces of juice. Peel the lemons and muddle the peels with the sugar. Let the peels and sugar sit for an hour, then muddle again. Add the lemon juice and stir until sugar has dissolved. Strain out the peels.
2. Fill a 2- to 3-gallon bucket or bowl with crushed ice or ice cubes. Add the lemon-sugar mixture and the bourbon, Cognac and rum. Stir and add the Champagne. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve.
Hot Mulled Apple Cider and Brandy Punch
Makes about 24 to 36 servings
Reprinted with permission from The Punch Bowl © 2011 by Dan Searing, 0x000ASterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Ingredients:
2 cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
5 cardamom pods
1 gallon apple cider
2 cups apple brandy (Laird's is a common and very good brand)
12 to 15 orange slices (about one orange)
12 to 15 apple wedges (about one apple)
Directions:
1. Put the cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom pods in a square of cheese cloth, and tie the ends closed with kitchen twine. Please don't substitute an old pair of undies (or at least don't tell your guests if you do).
2. Put the cider in a saucepan set over medium heat, and add the bag of spices. Heat the cider until it just begins to simmer.
3. Remove the pan from the stove, and pour the contents into a punch bowl. Add one cup of the apple brandy to the punch; taste the punch and add more apple brandy, if desired. Remove the packet of spices, garnish with orange slices and apple wedges, and serve.
This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2011.