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| TIPS & ADVICE |
Punches
- by Paul Harrington |
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the cocktail. In its oldest and simplest form, punch is merely rum and water. In the late 1600s, the English - having traded punches of the other sort with Spain over the ownership of Jamaica - began concocting their own versions of this mix. By the 18th century, punch had become far more elaborate, and people were making it with a variety of fruits and liquors, particularly brandy and wine.
According to Charles Browne's The Gun Club Drink Book of 1939, the word "punch" derives from either the Persian word punj or the Hindu panch - both words mean "five." So as you might guess, punches typically include five or more ingredients, not all of which are liquor.
Making Punch
Nowadays, punch does wonders for hosts doubting their mixing skills or resources to gather the needed barware. Punches, which really aren't cocktails, offer a refreshing option for large gatherings, especially during the warmer months. Because of their numerous ingredients, punches rarely showcase a particular spirit. Even perceptive guests will be hard pressed to detect what spirit was used in a punch. Many hosts regrettably go to extremes, take misread cues from holiday hostess guides, and make the punch sweet enough to hide the taste of cheap liquor.
Cheap spirits are a bad investment. Either the guests will end up leaving early because the punch tastes as cheap as it is, or they'll end up staying the night because they're intoxicated from not having been able to gauge their alcohol intake. Remember, the purpose of serving a punch is not to save money on alcohol, but to free the host from constant drink-making. |
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