Every host needs a good punch recipe in their cocktail repertoire. Once the punch base is prepared, all you need to do is to fill the bowl with ice, add glassware, spirits and garnish. A great punch should not only exceed expectations but leave an impression.
Ingredients
- 3 oranges, 2 for peels and juice, 1 cut in wheels for garnish
- 3 lemons, 2 for peels and juice, 1 cut in wheels for garnish
- 8 ounces (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh lavender greens (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried lavender)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (1 for garnish)
- 2 sprigs fresh sage (1 for garnish)
- 6 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
- 16 ounces (2 cups) strong green tea
- 8 ounces (1 cup) pomegranate juice (from 2 pomegranates or substitute with bottled juice)
- 16 ounces (2 cups) Cognac (I prefer Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
- 4 ounces (½ cup) orange liqueur or triple sec (I prefer Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
- 2 bottles your favorite Champagne or dry sparkling wine
Preparation
1 Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, peel citrus in large pieces avoiding the white pith. Set aside peeled citrus for juicing.
2 Now prepare your oleo-saccharum. Place peels in large nonreactive bowl.
3 Add sugar, 1 sprig each of lavender, rosemary and sage. Add the bitters and pomegranate seeds. Gently muddle to express oils. Cover and let stand at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
4 While your oleo-saccharum is resting, brew 2 cups strong, hot green tea with 2 tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir tea into oleo-saccharum to dissolve the sugar. Juice and fine-strain the 2 oranges and 2 lemons.
Add citrus juice and pomegranate juice to the mixture. Stir to blend and then strain the entire batch into your punch bowl. (Or place in a clean container with a lid and refrigerate up to 1 week.)
5 Add Cognac and dry Curaçao to the punch base and stir. Fill the punch bowl half full with ice cubes (or a quart-sized block of ice) and stir. Add wheels of orange and lemon to the bowl and top with Champagne.
Place wheels of orange or lemon into the cups and ladle with punch. Garnish with fresh herbs and drink up!
