Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2018

BOTTLE SERVICE

O MATTER WHAT YOU’RE CELEBRATING, coming together over a cup of cheer

is one of the universal pleasures of the holiday season. And while supersized

batches of eggnog and wassail are party-circuit stalwarts, why feel bound by

tradition? With a pedigree reaching back into the 16th century and modern

iterations popping up at some of the country’s most creative cocktail dens,

punch’s possibilities have never seemed more endless.

At he Dorsey in Las Vegas, bartender Juyoung Kang keeps a classic Creole Punch featuring

dark rum, pineapple, ginger, and allspice on her menu year-round; come holiday time, she

adds a spiced mulled cider blended with sparkling wine and golden Pineau des Charentes.

At Anina in San Francisco, revelers can order a round of Southern Hospitality punch spiked

with bourbon, black tea, peach, lemon, and a splash of soda.

To mix up a batch, remember “one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak”—the

rhyme most punch connoisseurs defer to as the rule for proportions. Sour usually means

citrus (usually lime, lemon, or grapefruit juice). Sweet could be simple syrup or a low-

alcohol liqueur or aperitif, like Cointreau or Aperol. Strong is, of course, spirits: bourbon,

rye, brandy, and the like. Traditionally, the “weak” is water or tea, but fresh-pressed juices

and ciders can be another delicious way to add layers of flavor.

The other thing to love about punch is the bowl itself. Ivy Mix, the award-winning

co-owner of Leyenda in Brooklyn, has a lucky connection—her father, Robin Mix, is an

acclaimed glass artist, and his gorgeous handblown bowl (photo p. 51) is perfect for show-

ing off Ivy’s heady cardamom-scented holiday punch. For the rest of us, Etsy and eBay are

chockablock with possibilities. Just be forewarned: Collecting punch bowls is like sipping

a glass of the liquid itself—it’s hard to stop at just one. SARAH KARNASIEWICZ

N

Far from the Tree

TOTAL 10 MIN; SERVES 12

Layers of apple flavor from

cold-pressed juice, brandy,

hard cider, and apple slices

give Ivy Mix’s not-too-boozy

punch an autumnal feel.

3 cardamom pods

1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt

11 / 2 cups French Sauvignon

Blanc or similar dry

white wine

1 cup cold-pressed apple

juice or apple cider

3 / 4 cup white verjus

1 / 2 cup amontillado sherry

1 / 2 cup Calvados or other

apple brandy

1 / 2 cup simple syrup

1 cup dry Spanish-style

hard cider (such as

Trabanco)

1 crisp, red-skinned

apple, thinly cut

crosswise into 12

rounds

Muddle cardamom pods and

salt in bottom of a punch

bowl. Stir in wine, apple juice,

verjus, sherry, Calvados, and

simple syrup. Add a 1-pound

ice block or ice ring; stir gen-

tly until punch is chilled,

about 30 seconds. Top with

hard cider, and garnish with

apple slices.

Shop ese Now A great punch needs a great presentation.

CHAMP GLASS PUNCH

BOWL ($100, cb2.com)

BEADED ALUMINUM

16-INCH PUNCH BOWL

($130, overstock.com)

LARGE REVERE BOWL

($240, simonpearce

.com)

MOTTAHEDEH

NATIONAL TRUST BLUE

AND WHITE PUNCH

BOWL ($1,040,

scullyandscully.com)

52 NOVEMBER 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY: (BOWLS FROM LEFT) COURTESY CB2, COURTESY JCPENNEY, COURTESY SIMON PEARCE, COURTESY SCULLY AND SCULLY