ROUSES_SeptOct2019_Magazine

Pleased As PUNCH by SARAH BAIRD

When it comes to parties, there’s something absolutely magnetic about a big bowl of boozy punch. Whether it’s the typically jewel-toned hues of punches that attract eager imbibers, the ability to playfully slosh it into one’s cup or the communal feeling of sharing in the same sippable experience, the punch bowl is often the alcohol- tinged centerpiece around which everyone gathers to catch up, gossip and get their soirée started off on the right (loosened-up) foot. I n the opening pages of his 2010 book Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl , acclaimed cocktail historian David Wondrich writes of his experience crafting punches for a crowd. “Before you know it, everyone’s chattering away with tipsy animation, and it’s a party. Sure, there are always a few holdouts, but sooner or later all but the most stridently resistant will get sucked in. Nobody likes to be the odd person out, particularly if all it takes to participate is to stand around sipping something truly delightful, made from a formula Charles Dickens used to enjoy. But that’s the beauty of punch. The ‘flowing bowl,’ as its devotees used to call it, makes itself the catalyst for, and focus of, a temporary community of drinkers.” If you’re a punch novice — and your partygoers can handle a stiff drink — there’s no better place to start your journey into “flowing bowl” recipes than with Mississippi Punch. Originally appearing in Jerry Thomas’ legendary 1862 cocktail tome, Bon Vivant’s Companion ,

Mississippi Planters Punch (Makes 1 cocktail) WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 ounces brandy 1 ounce bourbon 1 ounce dark rum 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Juice of half a large lemon Lemon slice, for garnish HOW TO PREP: Pour lemon juice into a large glass or cocktail shaker. Add sugar to the juice, and stir it in well, until it’s well-dissolved. Add the brandy, bourbon and rum to the glass, mixing well.

the punch boasts a stout combination of cognac, bourbon, dark rum (yes, three hefty spirits) plus lemon juice and sugar. What’s more, Thomas’ version was calibrated for maximum tipsiness: The recipe dictates one wineglass full of cognac as a measurement, with a half-wineglass each of the bourbon and rum. (Yikes!) And while modern iterations are a little less gung-ho with such generous pours, the resulting punch remains just as balanced and delicious as it is unabashedly liquor-forward. Trust me, this is nothing like the sherbet and Sprite “punch” concoction you glugged down at your eight-year-old cousin’s birthday party.

Add ice and shake well, then pour over ice into a tall Collins glass. Garnish with lemon slice.

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