CincyCraig

If it's a very elegent and dry rum you might pull it off. Ron del Barrilito 3 Star comes to mind.

I made another Regent's Punch last weekend, but as I was assembling it I realized that I had failed to make the pineapple syrup, so I improvised a quick substitute. I made a 2:1 rich simple syrup using unsweetened pineapple juice in place of the water, and demerara sugar. The quick pineapple syrup worked perfectly and tastes great, in fact its more flavorful than the long soak method detailed in Wondrich's recipe.

Just a quick note; I made a batch of Fish House Punch using the liquor.com/Wondrich recipe that I previously posted: We had a pitcher of it last night, plus I bottled the above for enjoying later. I followed the liquor.com recipe and it does call for far too much water IMHO and tasted very diluted (even before adding any ice). I had to add more spirits, then add more lemon juice and demerara syrup to adjust the flavor. The result was very tasty and went down way to easy. The color surprised me though, it turned out vaguely greenish instead of the reddish hue that I was expecting.

I found a new-ish Peach Brandy from Peach Street Distillers of Colorado at my local liquor store, The Party Source: This an 80 proof real Peach Brandy. I have not been able to find a great deal of information about this product, even from Peach Street's own website, so I do not know its exact age. What I have been able to learn is that this brandy is made from handpicked, hand pitted peaches from orchards in Palisade, Colorado. Peach Street fermented the peaches into brandy, and then placed the eau de vie into barrels to age. The final product is surprisingly smooth given its (I suspect) youngish age. There is also a bit of "funk" (and I mean that in a good way!) in this brandy which I like. I'm going to make a Fish House Punch for a Halloween get together with this brandy using David Wondrich's recipe via Liquor.com: Peels of 8 lemons2.5 cups Demerara sugar16 oz Boiling water16 oz Fresh lemon juice1 (750-mL) bottle Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum12 oz VSOP cognac12 oz Real peach brandy3 qt (96 oz) Cold waterGarnish: Grated nutmeg Glass: Punch Given that there's some funkiness in this brandy I am going to Cut the Smith & Cross back to 8.5 ounces, and sub in 12.5 ounces of Appleton 12 year instead. I also think that the 16 ounces of boiling water that David calls for is extraneous considering the 96 ounces of cold water that's called for in this recipe, plus the dilution from the ice ring. I'll be using Pierre Ferrand 1840 for the Cognac. Now here's my question: I would like to make this punch in advance (preferably on Sunday when I have time) and serve it on Wednesday. Does Fish House Punch lend itself to making ahead of time? I would really appreciate any guidance or suggestions on making FHP in general, and/or making this punch ahead of time, from other members.

I found a new-ish Peach Brandy from Peach Street Distillers of Colorado at my local liquor store, The Party Source: This an 80 proof real Peach Brandy. I have not been able to find a great deal of information about this product, even from Peach Street's own website, so I do not know its exact age. What I have been able to learn is that this brandy is made from handpicked, hand pitted peaches from orchards in Palisade, Colorado. Peach Street fermented the peaches into brandy, and then placed the eau de vie into barrels to age. The final product is surprisingly smooth given its (I suspect) youngish age. There is also a bit of "funk" (and I mean that in a good way!) in this brandy which I like. I'm going to make a Fish House Punch for a Halloween get together with this brandy using David Wondrich's recipe via Liquor.com: Peels of 8 lemons 2.5 cups Demerara sugar 16 oz Boiling water 16 oz Fresh lemon juice 1 (750-mL) bottle Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum (or other strong, pungent Jamaican rum) 12 oz VSOP cognac 12 oz Real peach brandy* 3 qt (96 oz) Cold water Garnish: Grated nutmeg Glass: Punch Given that there's some funkiness in this brandy I am going to Cut the Smith & Cross back to 8.5 ounces, and sub in 12.5 ounces of Appleton 12 year instead. I also think that the 16 ounces of boiling water that David calls for is extraneous considering the 96 ounces of cold water that's called for in this recipe, plus the dilution from the ice ring. I'll be using Pierre Ferrand 1840 for the Cognac. Now here's my question: I would like to make this punch in advance (preferably on Sunday when I have time) and serve it on Wednesday. Does Fish House Punch lend itself to making ahead of time? I would really appreciate any guidance or suggestions on making FHP in general, and/or making this punch ahead of time, from other members.

No trouble finding it here in the Ohio area, both sizes are widely available in both grocery & wine/liquor stores, and well priced too if I might add. I second hunting down Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, it's one of, if not the, finest vermouths in the world.

Thanks for your reply Samuel! Just to clarify, are you saying that I should try and get the punch off of the sediment while it ages, or just when I'm ready to serve it? Cheers, Craig

I'm hoping that someone can help me here; I strained my punch base using a fine mesh strainer yesterday and put it into sterile mason jars. I put the jars into my wine cooler to age until at least Halloween. Tonight I looked at the punch and it had turned into a lighter color of red that is crystal clear, and there is a large deposit of 'stuff' that has collected at the bottom of the jars. This deposit is a thick layer of lightish colored sediment that has collected in the bottom of the mason jars. As I said, the punch liquid is completely clear now that this sediment has settled out. Here are my questions; What is this sediment? Is it pectin, sugars or something else?? And when I'm ready to add champagne and serve the punch, should I pour off the clear liquid (or strain it through double layer cheesecloth) and serve it, or should I stir everything up and serve it that way?? I would greatly appreciate any insight that fellow Egullet members might be able to offer me. Cheers, Craig

I made a batch of Chatham Artillery Punch yesterday with the intention of putting it away for the holidays. I used an amalgamation of David Wondrich's two recipes from Imbibe and Punch, plus the addition of a little Benedictine (the use of which I've read in several older CAP recipes). I've made the Imbibe CAP recipe before and I felt that it lacked a bit of kick, but the recipe in Punch seemed too strong and too overtly alcoholic to me. Here's what I came up with for my base: 2 750ml btls of Meier's Pink Catawba 1 750ml btl Cruzan Single Dark Rum 1 750ml Bottle Old Overholt Rye 2 cups Hardy's VS Cognac 2oz Benedectine 1 whole pineapple cut in chunks 1 large box of sliced strawberries Juice of 1 small Valencia orange 2 cups strong green tea 2 cups lemon juice 1 cup oleo-saccharum infused Sugar In The Raw The base is fermenting right now in an over-sized stainless steel kettle, and it tastes darn good already. I'll strain out the fruit and pulp after 48 hours, then it all goes into large mason jars which will be stored in a wine fridge until the holidays, when I'll mix it with champagne when it's served. I've been using Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Brut for both punches and for cocktails, it's is a real overachiever for $12.00.

I had that very Regent's Hangover back during the Holidays. It wasn't very pleasant to say the least.

That was a very nice post on your blog Chris. I wrote a post about the Regent's Punch on My cocktail blog as well, however you're a much better hand with a camera than I could ever hope to be. I made a batch of Regent's Punch last week and had the opportunity to perform an interesting head-on-head comparison; I served half of the punch with a very good Champagne and half of it with a decent sparkling wine. For the first half of the punch, I added a bottle of Champagne J. Lassalle Brut Premier Cru Vintage 1998 (I know, it was an extravagance but it was our Christmas Eve celebration at home, so I said what the heck), and for the second second half I added a bottle of Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux, which is (allegedly) France's oldest sparking wine producer and is my go-to inexpensive bubbly (It makes a killer French 75 BTW). The real Champagne took the punch to a completely different level, adding richness, acidity, complexity, elegance and decadence to the final product. By contrast, the batch that I made with the sparkling wine had a considerably drier and 'cleaner' flavour, with less acidity and complexity than the champagne batch. The sparkling wine version still made for a delicious and imminently drinkable punch, but it's more of an 'everyday' or non-special occasion punch. I am glad that I finally had the opportunity to make a direct comparison of the use of Champagne vs sparkling wine in punch. The Champagne made for a very special punch indeed, however my wallet will force me to reserve its use for special occasions only.

Hardy "Red Corner" VS Cognac is selling for $20-22 per bottle in these parts. It is a great mixing cognac and works well in cocktails and punches. It's just a wee bit hot for enjoying neat, but it's a solid mixer at a reasonable (but not cheap per se) price.

I order regularly from Hi-Time Cellars in Los Angeles. Great selection and prices, and good service as well. http://www.hitimewine.net

Kathryn, The apples do add flavour. I neglected to write that I pour all of the apple juices that accumulate in the bottom of the of the baking dish into the Wassail along with the apples. The carbonation is pretty much gone after the Wassail is heated. I have a batch of wassail in the crock pot as I write this, the Mrs and I are enjoying it while putting our Christmas decorations out. I added a bit of Calvados into the punch tonight along with the sherry, perhaps 1/4 cup. It's very tasty.

Since the holiday season is here I thought that I would share a recipe for a Wassail Bowl. Wassail is an spiced ale and apple punch, and gains its name from the Anglo-Saxon phrase 'waes hael', which means something like 'good health'. The Wassail Bowl: 6 bottles ale 12 small apples 3 whole cloves 3 whole allspice 3 broken cardamom seeds 1 broken 3" cinnamon stick 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground nutmeg 2 cups sugar 1 fifth dry sherry (1 750 ml bottle) Bake the apples at 350 for 20 minutes, or until tender. Tie the cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom into a cheesecloth bag, place it with 1 bottle of ale, the ginger and nutmeg, into a kettle and heat gently for 10 minutes. Remove the bag, pour in the rest of the ale, the sugar, and the sherry. Heat for 20 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and float the apples on top. Serve hot. I like to use 5 Imperial Pints of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale and 1 Imperial Pint of their Taddy Porter in my Wassail Bowl. For the sherry I like Lustau's Dry Amontillado Los Arcos. There are many different recipes for Wassail, some call for brandy or even Calvados in place of the sherry, and others call for the use of cider along with the ale. As with all hot punches, be sure not to boil the punch or the alcohol will evaporate. I make mine in a crock pot, it stays at just the right temperature. Wassail, and Wassailing, brought about one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time, one which we still sing today: Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green, Here we come a-wand'ring So fair to be seen. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year. We are not daily beggers That beg from door to door, But we are neighbors' children Whom you have seen before Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year. Good master and good mistress, As you sit beside the fire, Pray think of us poor children Who wander in the mire. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year. We have a little purse Made of ratching leather skin; We want some of your small change To line it well within. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year. Bring us out a table And spread it with a cloth; Bring us out a cheese, And of your Christmas loaf. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year. God bless the master of this house, Likewise the mistress too; And all the little children That round the table go. Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail, too, And God bless you, and send you A Happy New Year, And God send you a Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays David. The blood oranges deepened the colour of the punch quite a bit, taking it from the usual greenish hue to a nice reddish hue. More of a typical 'punch colour' if you will. The exotic aromatic scent that the blood orange peels produced as they were being muddled with the demerara sugar, valencia & lemon peels was really wonderful, and provided a really unique flavour to the punch. Incidently, we have a mutual friend, the 'Minister Of Sugar Cane Based Spirits', who has told me about the new product that he is going to be offering from Jamaica soon. I can't wait to try a Regent's Punch (along with a great many other punches & cocktails!) with his new pot stilled spirit. BTW, might Plymouth or Old Tom gin yield a decent hot punch? I have a devil of time locating genever in these parts. How about Steinhäger?? Cheers, Craig Hochscheid

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone! I made a batch of Regent's Punch tonight, It was my 3rd time making RP now, and this was the best batch yet. I went shopping for citrus yesterday and as luck would have it my local market had just received a shipment of blood oranges an hour before I got there. I used two Valencia and one blood orange in the punch, and it yielded best best RP yet by far for me. When I was muddling the citrus peel & sugar the blood orange peel gave off an incredibly aromatic scent, and the juice made for a really great& flavourful punch. I'm making at least one more batch of RP during the holiday season (maybe two, possibly three, an outside chance of four...), and I'll definitely be using blood oranges in it again.

Smoking Bishop is a hot punch that Dickens mentioned in A christmas Carol and another of his novels. I made this recipe for Smoking Bishop last year, and it was excellent. The recipe comes from Dicken's Great Grandson, Cedric Dickens. Recipe for "A Smoking Bishop" Taken from "Drinking With Dickens", published in the US by New Amersterdam Books, NY 'Port was the base for a number of drinks: "we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop." Bishop seems to have been a very popular drink, and no wonder. I discovered it many years ago and it quickly became a traditional winter party drink. Not only is its taste exquisite, but equally its medicinal qualities are great. You can feel it doing good. Temperatures go up, from the top of the head (bald heads turn red) right down to the toes.' Ingredients: For an American version 5 sweet oranges (the original English recipe calls for 6 Seville Oranges) 1 old fashioned grapefruit 1/4 lb sugar to taste 2 bottles cheap strong red wine 1 bottle ruby port cloves How It's Done: Bake the oranges and grapefruit in the oven until they are pale brown and then put them into a warmed earthenware bowl with five cloves pricked into each. Add the sugar and pour in the wine - not the port. Cover and leave in a warm place for about a day. Squeeze the oranges and grapefruit into the wine and pour it through a sieve. Add the port and heat, but do not boil. Serve in warmed goblets and drink hot.

As the Christmas season is upon us, I always enjoy making traditional Wassail. This is a recipe that i have enjoyed making for a few years now. I use 5 bottles of Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale to 1 bottle of Sam Smith's Taddy Porter, and a dry sherry such as a Manzanilla: Wassail: 6 bottles ale 12 small apples 3 whole cloves 3 whole allspice 3 broken cardamom seeds 1 broken 3" cinnamon stick 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground nutmeg 2 cups sugar 1 fifth dry sherry (1 750 ml bottle) bake the apples at 350 for 20 minutes, or until tender. Tie the cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom into a cheesecloth bag, place it with 1 bottle of ale, the ginger and nutmeg, into a kettle and heat gently for 10 minutes. Remove the bag, pour in the rest of the ale, the sugar, and the sherry. Heat for 20 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and float the apples on top. Serve hot. Use a good hand crafted or brown ale

Here's a recipe for the famed "Smoking Bishop" punch, as featured in Dickens' A Christmas Carol. This recipe comes couretry of Dickens' Great-Grandson, Cedric Charles Dickens: http://www.britannia.com/cooking/cedric.html Recipe for "A Smoking Bishop" Taken from "Drinking With Dickens", published in the US by New Amersterdam Books, NY 'Port was the base for a number of drinks: "we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop." Bishop seems to have been a very popular drink, and no wonder. I discovered it many years ago and it quickly became a traditional winter party drink. Not only is its taste exquisite, but equally its medicinal qualities are great. You can feel it doing good. Temperatures go up, from the top of the head (bald heads turn red) right down to the toes.' Ingredients For an American version (6 Bitter Seville Oranges) OR 5 sweet oranges 1 old fashioned grapefruit 1/4 lb sugar to taste 2 bottles cheap strong red wine 1 bottle ruby port cloves How It's Done: Bake the oranges and grapefruit in the oven until they are pale brown and then put them into a warmed earthenware bowl with five cloves pricked into each. Add the sugar and pour in the wine - not the port. Cover and leave in a warm place for about a day. Squeeze the oranges and grapefruit into the wine and pour it through a sieve. Add the port and heat, but do not boil. Serve in warmed goblets and drink hot.

French 75, ala Harry's Bar in Paris. http://www.cocktailia.com/bar-reviews/harrys-new-york-bar

I made my forst Daisy tonight. and Brandy Daisy. any thoughts on using St. Germain in a Daisy of some sort? Cheers, Craig

Well, its 5:00 here in Cincinnati, and I just mixed up a batch of Ramos Gin Fizzes for the Mrs & I. I squeezed one of those huge baseball sized lemons. It had really thick skin, and when I cut it in half I found that it had an extremely thick layer of pith. I was able to get a little less than an ounce and a quarter of juice from that huge lemon. I juiced another lemon, a small, thin skinned 'regular' sized lemon, half the size of the other lemon, and was able to get just over 1 3/4 ounces of juice from it. Go figure. It seems to me that thin skinned citrus tends be better for juicing than thicker skinned citrus. Anyone else find this to be true?

Like many of you, I have been making cocktails from The Savoy, Old Waldorf, Bon Vivant and many other classic cocktail books for many years. And, I'll bet, like may of you I have at times been vexed by the rather nondescript measurements used in many of the classic cocktail books. It wasn't until I read Dave Wondrich's Imbibe that I finally had a understanding of most of the measurements used in those books. However, there is still one area where the older books still cause some confusion for me: citrus. Many of the older recipes call for using "The juice of one lemon" or "the juice of half a lime", and so on. I wonder how the size of lemons, limes & oranges in the late 19th & early 20th century differs from the size of today's fruit, and how much juice that the different fruits produce? How much juice is in a half a lemon, lime, etc?? When I go to the grocery today, I find lemons the size baseballs, and limes that are nearly as big. you didn't see citrus that large just 15 or 20 years ago, so I can only imagine how large (or small) citrus must have been 100 years ago. I think that it's a good bet that, like many items (eggs, chickens, apples etc), citrus is much bigger today than in the past. I would appreciate any insight into how to standardize juice measurements (half, whole, etc) as used in the classic cocktail books. Has anyone else ever considered this topic, or have I just become a completely OCD cocktail geek? Cheers, Craig in Cincinnati

Katie, I just read the list in the current issue of Esquire, and the list seems very, very short this year, in fact the middle of America seems to be left out entirely. I wonder if Esquire is going to expand upon the list in another issue? Cheers, Craig Hochscheid Artisanal Beverages LLC Cincinnati, OH