Potent Punches: The Retro Guide to the Original Party Drink - Softcover

Mealey, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 168435014X ISBN 13: 9781684350148

Publisher: Red Lightning Books, 2018

Synopsis

Punch is the original party drink. Versatile, easy, and inexpensive, it is the perfect addition to any occasion, whether a large wedding party, baby shower, or just a fun backyard barbecue with friends and family.
Potent Punches gathers the best unique recipes that will please your whole party in just one bowl. The guide shows the beginning bartender how to throw an awesome party on a budget, with simple and easy-to-follow recipes that will leave guests wondering when you had time for a bartending class. Recipes feature the familiar Bloody Mary Frappe, Whiskey Sour, Sangria, and Sweet 'n' Sour Fizz in crowd-pleasing portions, along with vintage cocktails like the San Francisco Cocktail, Mexican Patriot Cocktail, Ooo-La-La Champagne, and Frosted Black Russians.
In the foreword, cocktail expert Albert W. A. Schmid explains the resurgence of punch as the modern go-to party drink and provides tips to help you be the life of the party and the ultimate punch host. Potent Punches has something for everyone, from delicious, nonalcoholic options for the kids to potent vintage punch and cocktail recipes that guarantee a fun retro vibe for your next party.

About this title

About the Author

Barbara Mealey is the author of The Cocktail Party Cookbook and Guide.
Albert W. A. Schmid is the author of The Old Fashioned: An Essential Guide to the Original Whiskey Cocktail, The Manhattan Cocktail: A Modern Guide to the Whiskey Classic, and The Hot Brown: Louisville's Legendary Open-Faced Sandwich.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Potent Punches

The Retro Guide to the Original Party Drink

By Barbara Mealey

Red Lightning Books

Copyright © 2018 University Club of Indiana University
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-68435-014-8

Contents

Foreword by Albert W. A. Schmid, vii, 
1. Entertaining, 1, 
2. Cocktails and Liqueurs, 21, 
3. Potent Punches, 43, 
4. Cold Weather Concoctions, 63, 
5. Sans Spirits, 85, 

CHAPTER 1

Entertaining

Beverages are as basic and essential to the cocktail party as the hors d'oeuvre. The bar gives the host a splendid opportunity to demonstrate his or her social expertise. The host should be knowledgeable about local drinking preferences, the liquors and wines of choice, and bar accessories.

As host you may hire a bartender, serve the guests yourself, or inform them that the bar is self-service. When entertaining fewer than twelve people, it is customary for the host to mix the cocktails. You will need a bartender when the guest list exceeds thirty-five unless you wish them to serve themselves. At the beginning of a large party you might circulate and ask a few guests if they would like to have a cocktail. These drinks should be presented to the guests on a tray, and thereafter, guests may be directed to the bar for beverages.

If you do not possess a built-in bar area, you can improvise. A fairly large table will do nicely. Otherwise, you could use serving carts, breakfast or card tables, or even something like orange crates or sawhorses with a piece of plywood laid across. In any case, cover the makeshift bar with a plastic covering that extends to the floor on at least three sides. This allows the surface to be sponged off as necessary and also permits storage of bottles and extra glassware to protect them from dust, soil, and breakage.

Ideally, the bar should be centrally located. To avoid congestion, however, it should not be placed too close to the kitchen and buffet table. If this is not practical, you may wish to have initial socializing apart from the bar, and serve punch or premixed "specialties of the house" until the buffet table is ready. At that time, invite guests to come to the bar.

Be sure to have nonalcoholic beverages on hand for those who do not wish to drink liquor. We suggest preparing one of the several delicious nonalcoholic punches included in chapter 5. Many sweet cocktails also taste fine without the addition of liquor. It would be thoughtful to suggest these to your guests. Or, if you prefer, you may offer soft drinks and fruit juices. It is customary to serve nonalcoholic drinks in the same glassware used for cocktails. Never encourage a guest to drink liquor against his wishes.

COFFEE AND TEA

Coffee and hot tea have a place alongside the food on every evening cocktail buffet. For an after-the-event soirée, have regular and decaffeinated versions of each available as soon as your guests come through the door. Espresso coffee is perfect with dessert, but regular coffee should be offered too. A twist of lemon peel in a cup of espresso will give it a more mellow flavor.

If you're expecting a crowd, you might borrow or rent party-sized coffee makers. Three pounds of regular-grind coffee will yield 100 large or 175 small cups. Tea may be served in a coffee maker if the group is large. Simply brew the tea in the pot. Pour boiling water over tea leaves wrapped in cheesecloth. Cover the pot, let the tea steep to the proper strength (five minutes for black tea and three minutes for green), and then remove the leaves. One pound of bulk tea will make 250 cups.

Offer your guests sugar, low-calorie sweetener, cream, and lemon slices studded with cloves. Provide two quarts of cream and two pounds of sugar for 100 cups. Use your best serving pieces together with silver spoons and a lemon fork.

If you do not want to serve coffee in cups or mugs of china, glass, or ceramic, use foam cups or sleeves, which provide insulation and are more comfortable to hold than paper cups. Espresso may be served in tiny foam or demitasse cups.

WINE

If wine is to be served, either as the beverage of the evening or for individual requests, offer still and sparkling wines of good quality. Typical wine aperitifs are Dubonnet, dry Madeira, sherry, and vermouth. These should be served well chilled. If you wish, dessert wines, such as sweet Madeira, port, sherry, and sauterne, and liqueurs may accompany the sweets. It is also a good idea to have iced lager or ale in case someone requests it.

COCKTAILS

A cocktail is only as perfect as its components. Use only good-quality ingredients; many people are able to discern inferior contents. Liquors should range from moderate to excellent in grade. Some brands of cocktail mixes are of superior flavor to others; experiment to find the types you prefer. We recommend that you keep a bartender's guide handy when preparing drinks for your guests. The recipes will give specific quantities, to which you should adhere. Always measure accurately, use the required ingredients, and carefully observe the proper order and manner of blending them. Do not make substitutions unless you are fairly positive of the end result or are requested to do so by the guest.

The preparation of cocktails goes much more smoothly if you have a well-stocked bar. We have tried to provide a complete inventory, some of which you may not wish to include because of the season, the locale, or the type of party you are giving. The list does contain all of the essentials and should prove helpful.

PUNCH

Punch is one of the most popular social beverages. The punch bowl always has a festive air and it draws people together. If punch is the only beverage served, all labor involved with setting up the bar is eliminated. Therefore, punch is without equal when there are large numbers of guests. The punch for cocktail parties or buffets should be fairly potent — not the diluted version often served in the daytime. Included in chapter 5 are several nonalcoholic punch recipes, however, so you will not have to offer abstainers a soft drink or juice.

Many traditional punches contain fruit that has previously been marinated in liquor or sugared and left to stand for several days. Always use fresh fruits and juices rather than canned or frozen unless the punch recipe directs otherwise.

Chill all your ingredients well before mixing them in the punch bowl. The punch will be even more delicious, and the ice ring will not melt as readily. Large plastic containers are useful for storing the punch until serving.

A WELL-STOCKED BAR

Liquors

The well-stocked bar should include bourbon, blended and rye whiskies, scotch, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and dry and sweet vermouth.

In addition, stock carbonated water, which dieters may drink on the rocks, tonic (particularly in summer), and one or two brands of soft drinks. Ice, a measuring glass and spoon, drinking glasses, and napkins are the only other absolute essentials. For an after-the-event soirée, you could prepare appropriate bulk quantities of screwdrivers and Bloody Marys, and offer no other alcoholic beverages. Allow two drinks per person, and mix three parts juice or mix to one part vodka.

Have coffee, tea, sparkling water, or soft drinks available for nondrinkers.

Set-ups

Purchase soda water, tonic water, ginger ale, colas, diet drinks, frozen limeade, lemonade and orange juice concentrates, lime juice, and tomato juice (with seasonings added) or a Bloody Mary mix (Mr. and Mrs. T is superior to the others we've tasted). Have available either the basic ingredients for preparing cocktails or good-quality whiskey sour, daiquiri, and Tom Collins mixes. In warm weather you might wish to have pina colada, chi-chi, and mai tai mixes as well.

A basic ingredient in piña coladas and chichis prepared without a mix is coconut cream. Coconut milk is a part of many other tropical drinks.

Coconut Milk and Cream

Pour boiling milk over an equal amount of grated coconut, and let stand for 25 minutes. Strain the liquid, pressing the coconut with a spoon or your hands to yield a maximum amount of milk (about one-third of the milk will saturate the coconut and cannot be readily squeezed out). Refrigerate the coconut milk for several hours. A thick creamy substance, which is coconut cream, will form on top. Skim this cream off the top of the coconut milk. Refrigerate both until using.

Garnishes and Flavorings

Lime slices or wedges, pitted olives, cocktail onions, maraschino cherries with stems, bitters, and grenadine are standard cocktail accompaniments. You will need cocktail-length bamboo skewers or long, colorful plastic picks to spear lemon, orange, and lime slices, pineapple cubes or wedges, strawberries, grapes, and perhaps mint leaves. If you use bottled fruit, drain, rinse, pat dry, and refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.

Lemon peel is often added to drinks such as bourbon and water. To make attractive twists, use a vegetable peeler make thin spirals of peel with little or no white skin attached. Twist the lemon strip over the surface of the drink and then drop the peel into the glass. The lemon oil adds flavor and aroma. When cucumber rind is called for, cut thin slices of fresh rind and place on the edge of the glass.

Sweeteners

Use confectioner's or superfine granulated sugar for quick dissolving. Or, if you prefer, use a simple syrup that has been prepared ahead of time. When drinks contain sweeteners, pour in the liquor last.

Ice

Have plenty on hand. If freezer space allows, make ice cubes for several days before the party. Plan to use three regular-size cubes per drink. Use whole cubes for stirred drinks, cracked ice for shaker drinks, and crushed ice for frozen drinks. Store extra ice in insulated picnic chests underneath or adjacent to the bar.

ICE MOLDS

There are several ways to make ice molds to float in a punch bowl. All are successful if instructions are followed carefully.

1. Fill the mold with tap water. Empty this water into another bowl and set aside for fifteen minutes to deaerate. Pour one-fourth of the water into the mold and freeze. Add one-fourth more water to the ice and freeze. Lay garnishes on top, pour remaining water over all, and freeze.

2. Use distilled or boiled tap water. Pour half of the water into the mold and freeze. Then place garnishes on the ice, cover with remaining water, and freeze.

3. Freeze part of the actual punch except for last-minute ingredients, such as sparkling water. Add garnishes, fill to the top with punch, and freeze. This method insures that the punch will not become diluted.

Some attractive garnishes include strawberries, cherries, pineapple, grapes, orange, lemon or lime slices, mint, ivy, and fresh flowers (either alone or with greenery).

To unmold ice rings, dip the mold in hot water until the ice slips out easily. Place the ring in very cold punch, decorative side up. It is advisable to prepare two or more ice rings for the punch bowl, replacing them as necessary.

Punch Bowls

Punch bowls usually are made of glass or silver and come with matching cups. For a large group or when the punch is in cocktail form, Old-Fashioned glasses are a useful substitute for the traditional punch cup. Since the ladle is often made of heavy glass or silver, you might wish to purchase an inexpensive plastic one that is lightweight and easy to manipulate. If the punch is hot, you must provide insulated cups. Punch, Styrofoam, tea, or coffee cups may be used.

Punch bowl placement is a matter of preference. The bowl may be at either end of the buffet table if it does not crowd the food trays and clutter the overall appearance of the table. Ideally, however, it should be situated by itself on a round table, with a cloth draped to the floor. Remove all chairs from around the punch table, allowing enough room for guests to serve themselves from any direction.

For a special decorative touch you may frost the punch bowl. Beat one egg white with one tablespoon of water. Brush a band of this mixture in any width desired around the outside rim of the bowl. Sprinkle wax paper with regular or superfine granulated sugar. Colored sugars that harmonize with the punch are quite festive. Roll the wet rim in the sugar to frost. After about twenty minutes, recoat with sugar, and allow to air dry for several hours.

Glassware

Glassware for serving beverages should be assembled and cleaned several days prior to the party and stored under cover. It is wise to have at least two glasses per person, as many will forget where they put down the empty one or may wish to change their drink selection. You will need 8-ounce Old-Fashioned glasses for on-the-rock drinks such as martinis, Manhattans, and the like. This size will serve also for liqueurs over ice. The 14-ounce double Old-Fashioned is perfect for highballs, Bloody Marys, tropical drinks, and nonalcoholic beverages. You may wish to invest in beer mugs or goblets that are also used for cold weather concoctions. Large, tulip-shaped wine glasses are suitable for whiskey and scotch sours, but the small Old-Fashioned glasses serve just as well.

Serving beverages in glassware at a large gathering necessitates dishwashing during the party to keep the glasses clean. Keep in mind that it is perfectly correct to use disposable plastic glasses for mixed drinks or to use glassware for the first round and have plastic in reserve. Beer and wine, however, are best served in authentic glass. If you decide you want to use glassware, either buy the inexpensive variety, which is usually thick and break resistant, or rent what you need. Rental is not costly and is convenient if you do not entertain frequently. If you have basic glassware and need to fill in, you may do so with rental or plastic.

In the summertime, try frosting thin-walled glasses for a cooling effect. Frosting may be done by placing glasses in the refrigerator, freezer, or ice chest. Or, you may dip glasses in slightly beaten egg whites, roll them in granulated sugar, and then air-dry.

Bar Equipment

Ice bucket and tongs
Ice pick and/or ice crusher
Cutting board and a thin, sharp knife
Corkscrew
Bottle opener
Long bar spoon
Lemon stripper or vegetable peeler
Juicer for lemons and limes
Strainer
1-oz. mini-measuring cup or medicine
glass for measuring (preferable to
shot glass)
Shot glasses that measure accurately
according to size jigger called for
in recipe
Measuring cup with ½-ounce markings
Shaker with glass stirrer
16 Potent Punches
Glassware
Trays for clean and used glassware
Pitcher of cold water
Pitcher for mixing multiple servings
of a drink at one time
Towels
Cocktail napkins (must accompany
each drink served)
Straws and stirrers
Blender
Waste container

Measurements

Accurate measurement is essential when mixing cocktails and other beverages. The difference between ½ ounce and 1 ounce is 100 percent. Use a 1-oz. mini-measuring cup or medicine glass to measure accurately when mixing cocktails. These cups are marked in fractions of ounces, teaspoons, and tablespoons and in milliliters. The following list of measurements is a standard guide to good bartending.

1 dash = 1/16 teaspoon
1 teaspoon = 1/8 ounce
1 tablespoon = ½ ounce
1 small jigger (or pony) = 1 ounce
1 jigger (standard) = 1 ½ ounces
1 large jigger = 2 ounces
1 quart (British) = 40 ounces
1 bottle vermouth = 30 ounces
1 bottle champagne = 24 to 26 ounces
or 6 champagne glasses
1 magnum champagne = 52 ounces
or 14 to 16 champagne glasses
1 bottle wine (4/5 quart) = 6 wine glasses

The following is a comparison of six of the most common bottle sizes in US measurements and their near equivalents in standard metric sizes:

US Metric
miniature (1.6 oz.) 50 ml. (1.7 oz.)
half pint (8 oz.) 200 ml. (6.8 oz.)
pint (16 oz.) 500 ml. (16.9oz.)
fifth (4/5 quart) (25.6 oz.) 750 ml. (25.4 oz.)
quart (32 oz.) 1 liter (33.8 oz.)
half gallon (64 oz.) 1.75 liter (59.2 oz.)

A fifth yields approximately sixteen drinks. One American quart or one liter will serve about twenty cocktails, using one standard jigger per drink. You may figure on two drinks per person for cocktails before dinner or three to five drinks, some nonalcoholic, per person for an all-evening affair.

Here is a general guide of quantities to have on hand for various numbers of guests based on three alcoholic drinks per person, using one standard jigger per drink. Distribution of liquors will depend upon local drinking preferences.

One pound of ice cubes is needed for five drinks with three cubes in each. One fifth or one 750 ml. bottle of Bloody Mary mix will yield five to six drinks, and one quart or one liter of orange juice is sufficient for seven screwdrivers, using a standard jigger for measurement. Two 28-ounce bottles of soda water are sufficient for nine scotch- or bourbon-and-sodas. Soft drinks are usually served in 8-ounce glasses.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Potent Punches by Barbara Mealey. Copyright © 2018 University Club of Indiana University. Excerpted by permission of Red Lightning Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Red Lightning Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 168435014X
• ISBN 13: 9781684350148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 102