OOh we do like a nice punch and in this time of festive cheer, we can rely on the expertise of Hendrick’s Gin who has partnered with the best cocktail creators to offer a solution to Christmas entertaining by bringing our attention to the almost forgotten mastery of punch.
At this time of year when merriment with those dearest and nearest is at the forefront, it’s perfectly plain that punch brings people together: everyone sharing the same drink lifts the atmosphere of a room. Dismissed by many, punch often reminds people of their first fumbles into the world of alcohol and terrible concoctions containing God knows what. But this does not have to be the case, for in times past punch was the quintessential drink of Victorian gents who relished in bowls that “awaken in the soul all the finer emotions of sensibility and friendship.” Even the great Charles Dickens took pleasure in making and serving punch at home, with the ritual worthy of Mr Micawber himself as described in David Copperfield, “he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity.”
Over the Christmas period there really is no better way to entertain family and friends than around a bowl of enchanting punch! And here’s how to do it:
Eden Special Fizz, Created by Jason Scott of the Bramble Bar, Edinburgh
Ingredients:
500ml Hendrick’s Gin
250ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
150ml home made cherry liqueur or Cherry Heering (to taste)
1 bottle champagne
1 lemon
Method: Steep sliced lemon rounds in the first 3 ingredients overnight. Pour into punch bowl filled with ice and add champagne just before service.
Glass: champagne saucer
Garnish: lemon rounds
Hendrick’s Purl, Created by Tristan Stephenson of Purl, London
Ingredients:
150ml Hendrick’s Gin
1 litre of good quality hoppy ale
200ml cloudy apple juice
5 slices of satsuma
1 cinnamon stick
90g sugar
5g hops
2 cloves
1 dessert spoon honey
2 large splashes of Angostura Bitters
1 whole star anise
Method: Heat ingredients in a pan. Simmer for 20 minutes then strain the hops out and serve with satsuma slices and a stick of cinnamon to garnish.
Glass: Teacup
Garnish: Satsuma slices and cinnamon stick
Mr Micawber’s Favourite Hot Gin Punch
Created by Hendrick’s British Ambassador Duncan McRae, based on a study of Victorian Punch recipes and David Copperfield
Ingredients:
Three full teacups of Hendrick’s Gin
Another three of Madeira wine
Three cloves
Pinch grated nutmeg
Large teaspoon of cinnamon powder
Two teaspoons brown sugar
Six large lemon and orange twists
Small slice orange
One fresh pineapple
Four large spoons honey
Juice of two lemons
Method: Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and place on the heat. Let the concoction simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste, adding lemon or honey depending on whether you prefer sweet or sour. When it’s ready, pour into a teapot and serve in teacups or alternatively in a traditional punch bowl. This punch can be reheated should you wish to prepare it prior to a gathering. This punch is best simmered for half an hour or more– allowing the pineapple time to soften and caramalise. Pineapples (one of the most exotic ingredients one could get hold of) would have been a real treat during the Victorian Era, making this punch a genuine celebration.
