First, let’s give credit to Alton Brown. This culinary master is the one to thank for my love for a strong party punch. His showmanship and clever formula helped me make many great party punches. Many of those mixed up at the very last minute with what I had on hand.
I am going to share that amazing formula with you, a recipe, and of course my two cents. So let’s get started, eh?
The first known reference to punch dates back to 1632, from Robert Adams in the British East India Company. But the first recorded recipe didn’t show up until 6 years later. All and all punch was adopted by the British and quickly became a way to show off. Many British aristocrats would make lavish punch bowls to show off their wealth and status.
The wealthy weren’t the only ones to adopt punches, however. Sailors were punch lovers too. With the advent of rum, the transition into punches was an easy one. Having lime and sugar on hand made making a punch aboard ships much easier too.
So what is the formula for a good punch? Honestly, you can mix almost anything together and call it a punch. There are no laws when making punch. But following a specific formula, you can make a tasty strong punch that just a small cup of will get anyone’s party started.
Here are some good options for the different parts. Feel free to experiment of course.
Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Tart Cherry Juice. Some cranberry juices are pretty tart too. Anything that makes you pucker!
Sugar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave. Anything sweet will do. This is a great place to get creative since there are so many sweet things out there.
Rum, Gin, Vodka, Whiskey, etc.. 80 proof is plenty strong, but if you are feeling adventurous you could use higher proof alcohol. Be careful though, there is nothing diluting this punch.
Wine, Champagne, Beer, Ciders, etc… Nothing stronger than port and sweet things might come off too sweet. If you used prosecco for example. Dry champagne is a great starter punch mix, plus who doesn’t love a little fizz.
Nutmeg. You can add other spices, but always add freshly grated nutmeg and be generous!
Fresh fruit is a great addition to any punch. Fruit soaked in punch is dangerously delicious and intoxicating.
Ice is a must. Bigger blocks can keep the punch strong longer. But if your guests are turned off by the strength, crushed ice can mellow out the mix.
The Three Orange Punch is quick and easy to make, especially if you are in a hurry. The ingredients are fairly easy to come by and the final product is tasty and intoxicating. We backed off on the sugar because of the hard soda.
1 Cup Lime Juice
1.5 Cups Brown Sugar (Packed)
1 750ml Bottle of Whisky
4 Bottles of Hard Orange Soda
Fresh Grated Nutmeg to taste
Orange Slices
Knowing the secret for a good party punch can make it easy to provide drinks for an entire party. Plus without any non-alcoholic mixer, you can be sure that even a small cup is enough to get most people feeling the spirit. Be sure to write your recipes down though, it’s easy to forget after a batch. 😉