Happy Holiday's- Punch Is Here!

It's happening...starting now...kicking off the holiday season- a brand new trend is hitting Boston!  It's always exciting to watch these things catch on.  I remember when we were all about wide leg jeans...and then all of a sudden skinny jeans took over.  We were all a- rage for truffles, and now oysters are all over Boston. And now- where Cosmo's once stood, Sangria took a turn, and dirty martini will forever be, we welcome PUNCH to our list of drinks to indulge in this winter.  

Punch has always been high on my list of delicious drinks, and there is just something incredibly festive about a giant punch bowl filled with delicious mixtures, and able to be ladled into pretty little cups.  The whole idea of it just smacks of formal parties of old to me, and I have often thought that it plays so nicely with the idea of the waltz.

Either way- punches rock, and I am thrilled that they are taking over Boston this holiday season.  On Sunday evening I had the distinct pleasure of attending a Punch Party held at Aquitaine in Boston's South End.  Testing out three different types of punch is a lovely way to spend a crisp fall Sunday evening, so I was thrilled at the opportunity.  Nicely the folks at Aquitaine supplied recipe cards with their punches- and I urge you guys to embrace the trend and give them a shot!

My favorite of the evening was a typical looking and tasting punch, fruity, sweet and tart, ruby red in color, and just screamed "holidays" to me.  They named this one The Standard:

The Standard

1 Bottle Russian Standard Vodka

24 oz of Whole Cranberry Puree

8 oz lime juice

Orange Zest

My second favorite was the 1820, which was an incredibly refreshing mix of citrus and herb, bridging the delicate balance of summer into fall.

The 1820

1 Bottle Bols Genever

20 oz Grapefruit Juice

4 oz Lemon Juice

4 oz Absinthe

4 oz Basil Simple Syrup

Top with Sparkling Wine

Fresh Yuzu Zest 

The final punch, which rang in at my least favorite of the three, but that by no means translates it to being not tasty-in fact- it was the resounding favorite of most others at the party!

Hawkeye

1 Bottle Don Q Cristal Rum

24 oz Apple Cider

8 oz Ginger Syrup or Domaine Canton

4 oz Lemon Juice

Top with Sparking Wine

I can guarantee that any of these delicious punches will be a fantastic addition to any party you host, or if you want to drop a line to a host of a party- they may make them for you!

Happy Holidays!