| Cocktail | |
|---|---|
 Germanbowle | |
| Type | Cocktail family |
| Standard drinkware | .svg) |
| Commonly used ingredients | Usuallyfruit juices and otherdrink mixers, optionally with alcohol |
| Preparation | Varied |
The termpunch refers to a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic andalcoholic, generally containingfruits orfruit juice.[1][2] The drink was introduced from theIndian subcontinent toEngland by employees of theEast India Company in the late 17th century.[3] Punch is usually served atparties in large, wide bowls, known aspunch bowls.
In theUnited States, federal regulations provide the word "punch" to describe commercial beverage products that donot contain fruit or fruit juice. The term is used to label artificially flavored beverages, with or without natural flavorings, which do not contain fruit juice or concentrate in significant proportions.[4] Thus a product labeled as "fruit punch" may contain no fruit ingredients at all.
The word is commonly said to come fromHindi पाँच (pāñch), meaning "five", as the drink was frequently made with five ingredients:alcohol,sugar,juice from either alime or alemon, water, andspices,[5] or milk, curd, butter, honey, sugar.[6] That etymology traces toJohn Fryer'sA New Account of East India and Persia, in Eight Letters (1698), but there is no evidence of a drink called pāñch in India, or elsewhere, before the English word. Besides, the English word is now known to have been in use before the British became regulars to India.[7]
Some believe the word originates from the Englishpuncheon, which was a volumetric description forcertain sized barrels used to transport alcohol on ships.[8]
The drink was introduced from the Indian subcontinent toEngland by employees of theEast India Company in the late 17th century. From there it was introduced into otherEuropean countries. When served communally, the drink is expected to be of a lower alcohol content than a typical cocktail.[3][9]
The termpunch was first recorded in English documents in 1632. At the time, most punches were of thewassail type made with awine orbrandy base. But around 1655, Jamaican-producedrum came into use, and the "modern" punch emerged. By 1671, documents make references to punch houses.[citation needed]
As the need for a single-serving punch became evident, thesling, composed of spirits, water, and a sweetener,[10] was invented.[11]
Non-alcoholic varieties, which are especially given to children, as well as adults who do not drink alcohol, typically include a mix of fruit juice, water, and a sweetener, such as sugar or honey.Lemon-lime soda,ginger ale, or other fruit-flavored carbonated sodas are often added. It also often contains slices or chunks of actual fruit, such as oranges and pineapple. The non-alcoholic versions are typically served at school dances, church functions, picnics, and other similar social occasions.
Commercial manufacturers distribute many types of "fruit punch" beverages. These are usually colored red. Despite the name, most brands contain only a small fraction of actual fruit juice; the major constituents are typically sugar or corn syrup, citric acid, and artificial flavors. They may also becarbonated or nonalcoholic cocktailmixers.Hawaiian Punch,Hi-C andMinute Maid are three of the better-known brands in the US. Other related drinks includeKool-Aid powdered drink mix,fassionola, and Tiki Punch (a carbonated soft drink fromShasta).
Historically, most spirit based early alcoholic punches were made using eitherarrack orrum.[12][8][13]Bajan (Barbadian) rum punch is one of the oldest rum punches and has a simple recipe enshrined in a national rhyme: "One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak." That is: one part lime juice, two parts sweetener, three parts rum (preferably Barbados), and four parts water. It is served with a dash or two ofAngostura bitters andnutmeg.
There are many rum-based punches, includingPlanter's Punch,Fish House Punch, Caribbean Rum Punch, and others. Arrack based punches were included in Jacob Grohusko's 1910 and Charles Mahoney's 1912 bartenders guides,[14][15] and an early recipe for arrack punch was written by Pehr Osbeck, Olof Torén, andCarl Gustaf Ekeberg in their 1771 book,A Voyage to China and the East Indies:
It is known to almost every one how punch is made; but, that it may be observed for the future where it is made to its greatest perfection, I will mention the true proportion of its constituent parts. To a quart of boiling water, half a pint of arrack is taken, to which one pound of sugar, and five or six lemons, or instead of them as many tamarinds as are necessary to give it the true acidity, are added: a nutmeg is likewise grated into it. The punch, which is made for the men in our ship was heated with red hot iron balls which were thrown into it. Those who can afford it, make punch a usual drink after dinner. While we stayed in China, we drunk it at dinner instead of wine which the company allowed the first table.[16]
Alcoholic punches are common among parties for college and university students. These punches tend to be highly alcoholic and made with cheap ingredients. They may be referred to by names such as "grain punch" (made with high-proof grain alcohol and sundry mixers) or "Jungle Juice" (liquor of various sorts brought to aBYOB party, mixed in a lined trash can with various carbonated beverages, kool-aid, or whatever is on hand). Some exclude additional water altogether and have 30% alcohol by volume (ABV) or more.[citation needed]
Blow My Skull is a famous alcoholic punch drink that originated in mid-19th-century Australia that contains rum,porter, lime, sugar, and other ingredients.
Bajan Punch is made with rum, lime juice, cane sugar, nutmeg, and bitters.Falernum liqueur is also frequently added,[17][18] which was itself an early form of punch made by steeping cloves with rum, lime, and other ingredients.
Ti' Punch, literally meaning "small punch", is a rum-based punch that is especially popular in Martinique and other French-speaking islands of Caribbean. The drink is traditionally made with white rhum agricole, lime, and cane syrup. Caribbean Fruit Punch is a more fruity non-alcoholic version typically found in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.[19]
Acup is a style of punch, traditionally served before the departure of ahunting party inEngland. It is served at a variety of social events such asgarden parties,cricket andtennis matches, andpicnics. Cups are generally lower in alcohol content than other punches and usually usewine,cider,sloe gin, or liqueurs as the base. They often include quantities of fruit juices orsoft drinks.
A well-known cup is thePimm's Cup, usingPimm's No.1 (which contains gin) and British-stylelemonade at a ratio of 1:2; a squeeze of lemon; then add orange, lemon and apple slices; a couple of cucumber wedges; and decorate withborage flowers.
Punch (Punsch in German) refers to a mixture of several fruit juices and spices, often with wine or liquor added and mostly topped with champagne or sparkling wine. Punch is popular in Germany and with many Germans who emigrated to America. Parties on New Year's Eve ("Silvester") often include aFeuerzangenbowle ("burnt punch" or, literally, "fire tongs punch"). This is a punch made of red wine and flaming overproofrum (such asStroh), poured over aZuckerhut (sugarloaf), a large conicalsugar cube placed in the "Feuerzange".[20] It is similar to mulled wine ("Glühwein"). Another warm punch, popular with hunters or others spending time in the cold, isjagertee punch.
Arrack-based punches were historically popular in India and Sri Lanka, where it was distilled fromtoddy, the wine made from sap of various palm trees.[21][22][23][24]
Hwachae is a term for traditional Korean punches.Sujeonggwa is a traditional punch made from driedpersimmons,cinnamon, andginger.
Ponche is traditionally prepared during the Christmas season in Mexico. It is served hot, typically accompanied by other Mexican holiday staples liketamales,champurrado andpan dulce. Some ingredients used to makeponche are more seasonal and are sometimes hard to get. Freshtejocotes, the fruit of thehawthorn tree known to theAztecs as Texocotli (stone fruit), andguavas are among the most usual. Other common ingredients inponche includesugar cane pieces,piloncillo,apples,pears, dryhibiscus,raisins,prunes,clove andstar anise.[25]
InArgentina andUruguay, Claret Cup has been introduced by British immigrants and was widely adopted by the population. Known asClericó, its Spanishized form, it is the traditionalChristmas andNew Year punch, which occur in the summer of theSouthern Hemisphere. It is made withred wine and fruits such as oranges, apples, peaches, strawberries, etc. Other alcoholic beverages are commonly added in combination. In Argentina it is generally served from a punch bowl (ponchera).
Due to its proximity to Argentina,Paraguay has also adoptedClericó (and with the same Spanishized name) and it is also consumed during Christmas and New Year celebrations there. In Paraguay, it is typically served from a clay pot calledkambuchi.[26]
"Punch" is typically calledbål [sv] inSweden, and is commonly served in a bowl at social functions (e.g. graduation or wedding receptions). Bål as thought of broadly should not be confused with punsch, which is a specific type of alcoholic punch usingarrack that was very popular in Sweden in the decades around 1900.[27] Due to its popularity the arrack punch saw commercial bottling in 1845, and became known more broadly outside Scandinavia as theliqueurSwedish punsch.
Dragoon punch was popular in Sweden and Norway in the early 1900s, and added both stout and beer to brandy, champagne, and sherry.[28]
Some claimPlanter's Punch was invented by bartenderJerry Thomas at thePlanter's House Hotel inSt. Louis, Missouri.[29][30] The recipe for Planter's Punch varies, containing some combination of rum,lemon juice,pineapple juice,lime juice,orange juice,grenadine, soda water,curaçao,Angostura bitters, andcayenne pepper.[31] An early print reference to Planter's Punch appeared in the August 8, 1908 edition ofThe New York Times:[32]
This recipe I give to thee,
dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
and add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —
I know whereof I speak.
Southern bourbon punch is a drink closely associated withKentucky and otherSouthern states. Sweet bourbon punch is made withsweet tea (a signature drink of the South), citrus flavors andbourbon whiskey.[33] Bourbon is named forBourbon County, Kentucky, and each year during theKentucky Derby, recipes for bourbon punch abound.
Fish House Punch is a classic 18th-century punch containingrum,cognac, andpeach brandy first created at theState in Schuylkill club inPhiladelphia. Guests of the club who partook of the punch includeGeorge Washington, theMarquis de Lafayette, andChester A. Arthur. Though the exact formula for the punch has been officially kept secret by the club's members, published recipes for the punch date back to at least 1862. The punch has regained popularity in the 21st century, partially due to the renewed availability of real peach brandy from modern craft distillers.[34][35]
Much like Swedishpunsch, a number of punches bottled as liqueurs became regional specialties starting in the late-19th century.Hub Punch was created at the Hub House hotel inThousand Islands, New York, and was bottled from 1879 untilProhibition by C.H. Graves & Sons ofBoston. Hub Punch was briefly revived by Boston's Bully Boy Distillers in 2014.[36][37]Cohasset Punch was bottled inChicago for nearly a century from 1899 until the late-1980s, and was later referred to as "the definitive Chicago cocktail."[38][39] Cohasset Punch was relaunched under new ownership in 2024.[40][41]
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