Apologies for my absence from the 10 Thoughts this week, I have been making the 14 hour drive to Fort Myers and back to pick up my little man for the holidays. I also realized on that trip that my continued absence from the segment can be attributed to my absolute lethargy surrounding our football team. But I’m back. Im here for all your booze needs.
With that being said, after I got back and caught up with the board I feel I need to act as the “Future” to Neals “Bunny Rabbit”, please tell me you get he 8 Mile reference, and lay a verbal smack down on that other dude. SO, with that being said “Punk Ass Punch” is your drink of the week.
Though it’s mainly known as a non-alcoholic beverage today, punch was invented as a beer alternative in the 17th century by men working the ships for the British East India Company. These men were accomplished drinkers, throwing back an allotment of 10 pints of beer per shipman per day. But when the ships reached the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, the beer held in cargo bays grew rancid and flat. Once the boats reached the shore, sailors created new drinks out of the ingredients indigenous to their destinations: rum, citrus and spices.
The sailors brought punch back to Britain and soon the drink became a party staple, spreading even as far as the American colonies. Massive punch bowls were ubiquitous at gatherings in the summer months: the founding fathers drank 76 of them at the celebration following the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It’s around this time that the first mention of non-alcoholic punches appears, specifically made for ladies and children.
By the Victorian Age, those teetotalling punches ruled the day. Queen Victoria disapproved of strong drink, so alcoholic punches gradually fell out of favor. Frothy egg white-based and sherbet versions grew popular, and continued to be served to ladies who lunched until the 1950s. By that time, cocktail culture was in full effect, and it was socially acceptable for women to drink in public. Punch was relegated to the footnotes of history, only to be resurrected in the 2000s by mixologists in cities like New York and San Francisco.
But the punch of old is like our friend Yancy, antiquated, often times bitter, and not balanced or nuanced in any way shape form or fashion. There is a reason punch took a back seat and lost favor, it simply wasn’t any good. It took newer punches from more educated drink smiths who researched the old but also did some of their own homework to bring it into a new era and a favorable product to the masses. (See what I did there?). So, let us make an old time punch…to really get the point.
We should start with Rum as that was the most commonly used base. For this and to really hit the point home, it should be something thin, rather unpalatable, and cheap…so anything that comes in a plastic container with a label made from lettering you would find in MS Word and in only basic colors should do nicely. Then for the spices, you could do research and find things befitting the rum but that’s not this one goes, you simply just throw in whatever you have. Cinnamon? Sure. Saffron? Why Not? Season Salt, Crush It! The citrus used in these days were often not of the best quality either so just get some of whatever type, forget about it. They sometimes would add beer to stretch out the recipe so maybe a flat PORTER would work for added….depth?
Now, all you have to do it simply throw all this shit into pot, get it hot and pray to god its worth a damn. Thats a PUNK ASS PUNCH.
Now if you want something that is historical in structure but with a new sense of flavor that is also going to amazing for any and all of your holiday needs please see my mentor Naren Young's often recreated and publicized Horse and Carriage Punch copied from Martha Stewart below.
You will Need:
Cheers!
With that being said, after I got back and caught up with the board I feel I need to act as the “Future” to Neals “Bunny Rabbit”, please tell me you get he 8 Mile reference, and lay a verbal smack down on that other dude. SO, with that being said “Punk Ass Punch” is your drink of the week.
Though it’s mainly known as a non-alcoholic beverage today, punch was invented as a beer alternative in the 17th century by men working the ships for the British East India Company. These men were accomplished drinkers, throwing back an allotment of 10 pints of beer per shipman per day. But when the ships reached the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, the beer held in cargo bays grew rancid and flat. Once the boats reached the shore, sailors created new drinks out of the ingredients indigenous to their destinations: rum, citrus and spices.
The sailors brought punch back to Britain and soon the drink became a party staple, spreading even as far as the American colonies. Massive punch bowls were ubiquitous at gatherings in the summer months: the founding fathers drank 76 of them at the celebration following the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It’s around this time that the first mention of non-alcoholic punches appears, specifically made for ladies and children.
By the Victorian Age, those teetotalling punches ruled the day. Queen Victoria disapproved of strong drink, so alcoholic punches gradually fell out of favor. Frothy egg white-based and sherbet versions grew popular, and continued to be served to ladies who lunched until the 1950s. By that time, cocktail culture was in full effect, and it was socially acceptable for women to drink in public. Punch was relegated to the footnotes of history, only to be resurrected in the 2000s by mixologists in cities like New York and San Francisco.
But the punch of old is like our friend Yancy, antiquated, often times bitter, and not balanced or nuanced in any way shape form or fashion. There is a reason punch took a back seat and lost favor, it simply wasn’t any good. It took newer punches from more educated drink smiths who researched the old but also did some of their own homework to bring it into a new era and a favorable product to the masses. (See what I did there?). So, let us make an old time punch…to really get the point.
We should start with Rum as that was the most commonly used base. For this and to really hit the point home, it should be something thin, rather unpalatable, and cheap…so anything that comes in a plastic container with a label made from lettering you would find in MS Word and in only basic colors should do nicely. Then for the spices, you could do research and find things befitting the rum but that’s not this one goes, you simply just throw in whatever you have. Cinnamon? Sure. Saffron? Why Not? Season Salt, Crush It! The citrus used in these days were often not of the best quality either so just get some of whatever type, forget about it. They sometimes would add beer to stretch out the recipe so maybe a flat PORTER would work for added….depth?
Now, all you have to do it simply throw all this shit into pot, get it hot and pray to god its worth a damn. Thats a PUNK ASS PUNCH.
Now if you want something that is historical in structure but with a new sense of flavor that is also going to amazing for any and all of your holiday needs please see my mentor Naren Young's often recreated and publicized Horse and Carriage Punch copied from Martha Stewart below.
You will Need:
- Lemon slices, for ice and garnish
- Pomegranate seeds, for ice and garnish
- Cranberries, for ice
- Fresh sprigs rosemary, for ice
- 1/4 cup Citrus Sugar
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups gin, preferably Beefeater
- 3/4 cup Cointreau
- 3/4 cup St. Germain Liqueur
- 1 1/4 cups strong-brewed chamomile tea, chilled
- 1 1/4 cups Champagne or sparkling wine
- Orange slices, for garnish
- Organic rose petals, for garnish
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
- Step 1: Fill a 2-cup container with water and add lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and rosemary; cover and transfer to a freezer. Freeze until solid.
- Step 2: In a large punch bowl, mix together citrus sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add gin, Cointreau, and St. Germain; mix until well combined. Add tea and mix to combine; transfer to refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.
- Step 3: To serve; add a large ice cube to punch bowl and top with Champagne. Garnish with lemon slices, orange slices, pomegranate seeds, rose petals, and nutmeg.
Cheers!
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