We're mostly used to the punch of old English and American movies. There's always a huge bowl of red or pink drinks that tear hearts with floating pieces of fruit, not just for Christmas parties. However, it is still not easy to give an exact definition of what a punch is. In principle, all cocktails containing fruits, fruit and berry juices can safely fall into this category. And more - there is no strict formula. Punch can be hot or cold. Strong and no degree. But more often - low alcohol, the proportion of alcohol in the classic punch does not exceed 30%.
The only axiom that applies to all punches is the party drink. It's not the guests falling down the table, it's the punch's job to keep the level of fun smooth throughout the party. As the old English proverb says, "Where there is a punch, there is a holiday," we will guide you along.
Includes three holiday punch recipes: the traditional cranberry punch, champagne punch, and Jamie Oliver's Victorian milk punch.
Originally from india
If mulled wine came to the world at Christmas celebrations in Germany, then the groggs were introduced to the world by British sailors, and the punches came from colonial India. When we say "punch", the British mean "punch" and it exactly follows the sound of the Sanskrit word. Punch represents an open palm tree or the number five. Initially, this drink for British colonial armies was made with five ingredients: tea, lemon juice, sugar, water, rice and the local artisan distillate of the heart of palm trees. Their mixture was hot but not overcooked. Inflate the degree of alcohol to 60-65 degrees, conversely, so as not to evaporate. How effective such a recipe is can be judged by the fact that the English slang punch means not only a drink, but also a strong blow to the head.
In 1694, a punch suddenly appeared on the pages of gossip. Admiral Edward Russell, commander of the British Mediterranean fleet, held a gala reception at his home in Cadiz, where a garden fountain was used as a container for punches. The newspapers at that time had the details. The fountain contained 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of sweet wine, 900 kg of sugar, 20 gallons of lime juice, and over a pound of nutmeg. Of particular note were the glasses-bearers who swam in Punch Lake in boats and filled their glasses with ladle-shaped oars.... And the alcohol vapors from the fountain made such an impression on guests. . The tasting was paused in the late afternoon as about a dozen naval officers and female soldiers had to catch fish in the same oars. By the way, that Cadiz punch still holds the official world record for “making one cocktail in one container”.
During the heyday of the East India Company, the punch recipe immigrated to England and then spread across Europe, where it was merged with national drinks such as uzel and noggin, where they began cooking with a variety of alcohols including gin, rum and brandy. Burning rum punch Feuerzangenbowle, which Russian hussars called Tan. And in London came all kinds of establishments called Punch House.
Drinks for the inner circle
Unlike mulled wine, for example, the hot punch was not visible to everyone at the boiler in the square. Punch was often drunk close to the family, and an invitation to punch in the customary language of Victorian times meant an opportunity to join a family or be included in selected circles.
Around Christmas, the pungent smell of punches, along with knitted socks hanging from the fireplace and comical sweaters with deer, became a staple at home celebrations. In honor of the holiday, initially simple recipes flourished in lush colors. The composition of the Christmas punch included lemon juice and zest, cranberries or raisins, and British fruits like apples and strawberries in general. And the wealthier made a Christmas punch out of oranges and pineapples. Some of the fruit was used as juice and some cut into slices and slices and added to drinks to make the holiday punch look like a hot fruit salad.
The trick is that if you have too many ingredients, it's convenient to cook at least a few liters of punch with a few taps. Here came the traditional serving in a large bowl with a ladle. A good British home custom-made punch balls, adorned them with silver figurines and crests, and inherited them. And the preparation of the Christmas punch itself became a ritual. First, I filled the punch bowl with boiling water. Separately, in thick-walled dishes, they carefully warmed water, wine and strong alcohol and seasoned with zest, sugar and spices (a pinch of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg). As soon as the “punch body” of the alcohol reached the desired temperature, the bowl was emptied immediately, cleaned and dried, and the sliced fruit along with the juice entered the plate heated in this way. After that, all this splendor of sitichka was poured with hot alcoholic ingredients, covered with a lid and in this form fell to the table. It was considered bad manners to serve a punch poured into a cup or plate in which it was prepared. The most interesting explanation of punching can be found in Dickens' David Copperfield. . It was delightful to see his face glowing in the light clouds of stinky steam as he mixed, churned, and tasted... as if he wasn't preparing a punch, but ensuring the well-being of his family and all of his distant descendants. was considered bad manners. Perhaps the most exciting explanation for punching can be found in David Copperfield of Dickens. Micawber enjoyed the day. As he mixed, stirred and tasted, the light of the stinky vapors It was a pleasure to see his face shining in the clouds... It was as if he was not preparing a punch, but ensuring his well-being. The family and all his distant descendants." was considered bad manners. The most interesting explanation of punching can be found in Dickens' David Copperfield. . It was delightful to see his face glowing in the light clouds of stinky steam as he mixed, churned, and tasted... as if he wasn't preparing a punch, but ensuring the well-being of his family and all of his distant descendants. "
Milk and clear punch
The so-called dairy or refined (that is, peeled) punches have a special fate. Another sign of Victorian England: frugal housewives have turned fruit and berry liqueurs into rum and gin from summer into a hot punch in winter. Alcohol at that time was much harsher and had to be refined to avoid giving household items an unwanted odor and taste.
The basic recipe for Milk Punch included citrus juice or other acidic fractions. Milk (usually warm) is added to the already blended beverage, partially coagulated, and the punches are filtered from lumps and pieces. Filtration not only ennobled the taste, but also discolored the beverage. Such blanks can be stored for months or years. For example, ten years after Charles Dickens' death, dozens of milk punches the author put on top of him were found in the basement of his home and sold at auction.
For years, "milk punch" was of interest only to literary historians, but today, centuries of dust have been brushed off recipes and adopted by some of the most advanced bars in the world. Bartenders today, of course, are not interested in the possibility of chemistry with alcohol, but are interested in color special effects. Transparency is now bar fashion, and using the milk filtration method you get a crystal clear fruit mix of candy shades in a glass. , while retaining the entire original alcohol bouquet contained in it.
Flowerpot and "Purple Jesus"
Long before the concept of "cocktail" appeared in the United States, it was the punch that became the first mixed drink of high society. Although hot punches have not taken root in American Christmas traditions, cold punches have become their own, especially in southern states. Southern American aristocrats, owners of rice, cotton, tobacco and sugarcane farms, got a punch on their mansion veranda and quenched their thirst at the gentleman's club. Rum served as the basis for the southern variant of Punch, and the so-called "Planter's Punch", born in Jamaica, became the official recipe. In fact, as always when it comes to punches, "Planter's Punch" isn't a specific recipe like the usual assortment of fruit and juice-based refreshing drinks. Some of them were very simple, like lemonade with a degree. And it's very flashy. For example,
The whimsy served with the icy tropics "Planter Punch" can rival the hot German "Steel Punch," which, according to legend, is served with hot shots served in hot shells or mugged. When there was no grain, German housewives used cast iron, and when cast iron became scarce, they used hot ladles. In Canada, their own Christmas version with the fancy name "Jesus in Purple" is in use. What students invented at the University of Ottawa in the late 1960s was as simple as students. 40 turns, 2 cans of ginger ale and grape juice, all "purple". Swiss ski resorts in the Alps also have a "kid's punch", which is in great demand during the Christmas season. But, as you know, there is no debate about taste. Most importantly, something hums in a huge bowl, citrus flavor in the air, and the hot mixture doesn't cool the heat of the fun. This will be the most accurate recipe for a holiday punch.
Hot cranberry punch
It's the same punch that a friendly British family prepared for Christmas. And pour it into a clay mug where Santa races on his reindeer.
Ice champagne punch
Shiny, cold, snowy. Thanks to the playful bubbles of champ
agne (or other sparkling wine), it perfectly satisfies anticipation and ordinary thirst for a magical New Year's Eve.
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