A Punch this Christmas with Hendrick’s Gin

OOh we do like a nice punch and in this time of festive cheer, we can rely on the expertise of Hendrick’s Gin who has partnered with the best cocktail creators to offer a solution to Christmas entertaining by bringing our  attention to the almost forgotten mastery of punch.

At this time of year when merriment with those dearest and nearest is at the forefront,  it’s perfectly plain that punch brings people together:  everyone sharing the same drink lifts the atmosphere of a room. Dismissed by many, punch often reminds people of their first fumbles into the world of alcohol and terrible concoctions containing God knows what.  But this does not have to be the case, for in times past punch was the quintessential drink of Victorian gents who relished in bowls that “awaken in the soul all the finer emotions of sensibility and friendship.” Even the great Charles Dickens took pleasure in making and serving punch at home, with the ritual worthy of Mr Micawber himself as described in David Copperfield, “he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity.”

Over the Christmas period there really is no better way to entertain family and friends than around a bowl of enchanting punch! And here’s how to do it:

Eden Special Fizz, Created by Jason Scott of the Bramble Bar, Edinburgh

Ingredients:

500ml Hendrick’s Gin

250ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

150ml home made cherry liqueur or Cherry Heering (to taste)

1 bottle champagne

1 lemon

Method: Steep sliced lemon rounds in the first 3 ingredients overnight. Pour into punch bowl filled with ice and add champagne just before service.

Glass: champagne saucer

Garnish: lemon rounds

 

Hendrick’s Purl, Created by Tristan Stephenson of Purl, London

Ingredients:

150ml Hendrick’s Gin

1 litre of good quality hoppy ale

200ml cloudy apple juice
5 slices of satsuma
1 cinnamon stick
90g sugar
5g hops
2 cloves
1 dessert spoon honey
2 large splashes of Angostura Bitters
1 whole star anise

Method: Heat ingredients in a pan.  Simmer for 20 minutes then strain the hops out and serve with satsuma slices and a stick of cinnamon to garnish.

Glass: Teacup

Garnish: Satsuma slices and cinnamon stick

 

Mr Micawber’s Favourite Hot Gin Punch

Created by Hendrick’s British Ambassador Duncan McRae, based on a study of Victorian Punch recipes and David Copperfield

Ingredients:

Three full teacups of Hendrick’s Gin

Another three of Madeira wine

Three cloves

Pinch grated nutmeg

Large teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Two teaspoons brown sugar

Six large lemon and orange twists

Small slice orange

One fresh pineapple

Four large spoons honey

Juice of two lemons

Method: Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and place on the heat. Let the concoction simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.  Taste, adding lemon or honey depending on whether you prefer sweet or sour.  When it’s ready, pour into a teapot and serve in teacups or alternatively in a traditional punch bowl.  This punch can be reheated should you wish to prepare it prior to a gathering. This punch is best simmered for half an hour or more– allowing the pineapple time to soften and caramalise.  Pineapples (one of the most exotic ingredients one could get hold of) would have been a real treat during the Victorian Era, making this punch a genuine celebration.

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