When e’en a bowl of punch we make,
Four Striking opposites we take;
The strong, the small, the sharp, the sweet,
Together mix’d, most kindly meet;
And when they happily unite,
The bowl is pregnant with delight.
[From Oxford Night-Caps, 1827]
Before there were cocktails…long before…there was Punch! I am not referring to the kind that includes Kool-Aid or Yago Sangria as an ingredient, but the kind of Punch that, if made properly, will knock your socks off with its power and flavor. Our ancestors knew what they were doing when they created this toothsome mélange of sweet, sour, and strong spirit. The real thing is an eminently satisfying, yet little known drink category that was born out of the turmoil of British colonization. For nearly two hundred years, Punch was the most important of all mixed drinks in England and around the world. In 17th century England, gentlemen would get together and share tales of adventure over a bowl of Punch. It was the obligatory drink of the time and because it was made in a large bowl, inspired comradery and lengthy discussion. For centuries, many an Englishman bonded over this
“Flowing Bowl” and handed down the tradition of drinking Punch from one generation to another.
The origin of this gleeful mixture is somewhat murky, but one of the earliest books ever published on the subject of mixed drinks, Oxford Night-Caps, sheds some light on the subject. In 1827, the year of its publication in Oxford, England, the Punch was considered to be a “truly English” drink – not surprising when we consider that the first known reference to Punch in English literature was as early as 1632. By the time Oxford Night-Caps was published, almost two hundred years later, the English had already appropriated the Punch and considered it their own. “The liquor called Punch has become so truly English, it is often supposed to be indigenous to this country, though its name at least is oriental. The Persian punj, or Sanscrit pancha, i.e. five, is the etymon of its title, and denotes the number of ingredients of which it is composed.”
In an ironic twist of historical fate, we often criticize the British for producing food that lacks flavor, but when it came to Punch, created by the English, the stereotype is smashed. Perhaps it is the result of its birthplace, believed by most historians to be India, a country where food and drink burst with flavor and spice.
The most respected cocktail historians of our day, believe that Punch derives from the Persian word punj or the Hindi panch, both indicating the number five, as that is the number of ingredients that were needed to make a proper drink: brandy or rum, water, citrus, sugar, and spice. Others say that Punch is a vulgar derivation of “pale-punts” a drink that consisted of brandy or aqua vitae, the juice of lemons and oranges, along with sugar. Edward Spencer, the English author who penned The Flowing Bowl (1898), seems outraged that the origin of the word is “Asiatic” and desperately wants to provide an argument in favor of a European (read English) derivation. As he clearly states: “ In Cakes and Ale, grave doubts are expressed as to whether the usually-accepted derivation of punch is the correct one. Why Asia should be raked to find a name for a purely European concoction, is beyond my powers of argument; and, as observed in another place, in the concoction of this seductive brew, it is by no means necessary to limit oneself to five ingredients. It may be news to the adopters of the panch (five) theory to read that punch was at one time called “pale-punts”.
The best research points to India as the birthplace of Punch, probably created by British colonists and visitors who were inspired by the ingredients available to them in this exotic land. Since brandy (cognac) and rum were products that were commonly acquired by English sailors, it is safe to assume that as colonists became more entrenched within India, a steady supply of these libations were made available. Since tea was already a staple here, it is likely that the earliest Punch recipes included tea as the “spice” ingredient and probably arrack as the main spirit.
In the American colonies, Punch was a very popular drink and it flowed liberally. At one community meeting in New England in the year 1785, eighty people attended and consumed thirty bowls of Punch before the event started and forty more bowls of Punch that evening during dinner. At some point, the colonists realized that spending time over a Punch bowl was limiting their productivity, so the tradition began to wane. By some accounts, wives were outraged that their husbands were spending so much idle time in taverns. Due to their pressure, Punch drinking became a less frequent activity. However, even in the
19th century, America’s wealthy elite (Carnegie, Rockefeller, Diamond Jim Brady, J.P. Morgan) drank what was called a Roman Punch as a sort of palate cleanser between courses during their sometimes raucous gastronomic festivities at New York’s great restaurants
- Delmonico’s, The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and Sherry’s. Punch was served during the infamous Seeley brothers dinner in a private room at Sherry’s Restaurant in the early 1890’s. Raided by New York City’s Police Chief, a scantily clad (some say an unabashedly naked)
Little Egypt, the exotic dancer who made the “hootchy-kootchy” famous, was arrested and ended up suing the hosts for non-payment of her fee. Neither Herbert B. Seeley nor his brother Nathan, ever lived down the scandal. There is no doubt that the bowl was flowing that evening!
OXFORD PUNCH (one of the earliest punches recorded) Extract the juice from the rind of three lemons, by rubbing loaf sugar on it. The peeling of two Seville oranges and two lemons, cut extremely thin. The juice of four Seville oranges and ten lemons. Six glasses of calves-feet jelly in a liquid state. The above to be put into a jug, and stirred well together. Pour two quarts of boiling water on the mixture, cover the jug closely, and place it near the fire for a quarter of an hour. Then strain the liquid through a sieve into a punch bowl or jug, sweeten it with a bottle of capillaire, and add half a pint of white wine, a pint of French brandy, a pint of Jamaica rum, and a bottle of orange shrub; the mixture to be stirred as the spirits are poured in. If not sufficiently sweet, add loaf sugar gradually in small quantities, or a spoonful or two of capillaire. To be served up either hot or cold. The Oxford Punch, when made with half the quantity of spirituous liquors, and placed in an ice tub for a short time, is a pleasant summer beverage. In making this Punch, limes are sometimes used instead of lemons, but they are by no means so wholesome.
You might not want to attempt this particular recipe, but it is a classic and one of the oldest Punch recipes around. Fortunately for those of us living in the 21st century, rules have gone by the boards, so be creative and make your own Punch, following some of the above guidelines – no problem if you leave out the calves-feet jelly. But please, don’t spoil it by making your Punch overly sweet. I remember the first one that I ever had, during my high school years, consisted of cheap American sparkling wine, bottled sangria, and ginger ale. DO NOT try this at home! The following is a more contemporary version (1862) and a much easier one to concoct successfully. It comes from the father of the cocktail book, Professor Jerry Thomas:
BRANDY AND RUM PUNCH
Take 1 tablespoon of powdered white sugar, dissolved in a little water.
1 wine-glass of Santa Cruz rum
1/2 wine-glass of brandy
Juice of half a small lemon
1 slice of orange (cut in quarters).
1 piece of pineapple
Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, and dress the top with sliced lime and berries in season. Serve with a straw.
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