A couple of weeks ago, an invitation was sent to my inbox “Join us for a Punchbowl Party!”
It came from Lee whom I consider to be my Fun Friend who is the type who’s name always appears on the top of my list when I’m making my own list of guests for parties The kind of friend who would naturally organize an Punchbowl Party.
What is a Punchbowl Party? It’s a normal party that includes a large bowl of punch instantly transforming an ordinary occasion into something more festive. It was a sight to behold when I got to Lee’s house there was a crowd of people gathered at the table, drinking the punch, discussing the punch, applauding the bowl (vintage and her mom’s) as well as ladling it with a ladle (together her mother’s vintage silver ladle) and, of course, sipping the drink. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that Lee’s family originates from the South and they are familiar about punches.
“My mother used to make something called Artillery Punch that was lethal,” she said to me. It was maybe “an acquired taste.” Then Lee efforts the Presidential Punch in the historic New York Fraunces Tavern some time back, and was thinking, ‘That’s the flavor of my mom’s. This is the recipe.
Presidential Punch
1 bottle Rye
1 bottle of Orange Curacao (Lee utilized Cointreau)
2 1 ounces Goslings Dark Rum
1 teaspoon Angostura Bitters
Peach tea (in roughly the same amount as rye tea; Lee made the tea in a pot from Celestial seasonings)
fresh orange and lemon slices to garnish
Lee also kept the lemonade in a pitcher in the fridge to allow guests to alter the taste or “add a little sweetness and zing.”
Cup of Jo friend Odette Williams who is a columnist on The Wall Street Journal, is also a fan of the punchbowl however, she suggests to keep it simple by taking a classic drink that you are a fan of. (Like a citrusy, perennial Paper Plane.) In contrast to Lee and Lee’s mom as well as me Odette is averse to drinks with fruit in them. “Get that bobbing, soggy fruit outta my punchbowl,” she states. “It always gets left behind in cup.” However, the most important rule to follow when making a punch for heris “It’s gotta be bloody cold.” To fulfil that she suggests together an enormous frozen cube of ice made from Tupperware. The ice will chill the punch in time, without altering the taste.
Punches aren’t required to require alcoholor even iceto yell “We’re at a Punchbowl Party!” John deBary who is a New York hospitality consultant and the author of two books about cocktails suggests the wassail, also known as the large-format cocktail with spices such as the one below typically served warm during winter holidays in colder regions. In love with the film “Home Alone and of Chicago winters all over the world -John deBary John imagines that the McCallister family could drink something similar to this.
McCallister Wassail
(from Saved By the Bellini (from Saved By the Bellini, written by John deBary)
In a large skillet on medium heat, mix with the vanilla beans, cloves, scratched seeds. Add cardamom as well as star anise. Cook continuously stirring until fragrant, around 3 minutes. Add the peels of orange along with the cider and bitters. Stir frequently, until heated to the point of boiling (do not overcook) approximately 10 minutes. Pour into mugs that are heatproof. Make note that if with vanilla extract, instead of bean then add the liquid to the bitters and cider.
Do you have any suggestions? Have you got a favourite holiday cocktail or drink?