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No one really knows where or when punches originated. Barroom historian David Wondrich in his popular work, “Punch” (2010), suggests the word likely comes from the puncheon, a barrel or cask, used to transport rum from the Caribbean to England

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Ponche Navideño and a Punchy Little Bit of History

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No one really knows where or when punches originated. Barroom historian David Wondrich in his popular work, “Punch” (2010), suggests the word likely comes from the puncheon, a barrel or cask, used to transport rum from the Caribbean to England

Source: Library of Congress
Guest post by Jennifer “JJ” Harbster
December 31, 2024
Posted by: Neely Tucker

Punch-pic-final
An 1870s enjoys a festive holiday with punch. Woodcut image unkown; photo of woodcut by Ruth Lundgren Company.

Here’s to a happy new year, everyone!

This is the kind of thing you say when making a toast at midnight tonight, but what’s in the glass? How about a vintage punch not just from days gone by … but centuries gone by?

Ever the faithful public servant, I spent some time getting to know punch recipes from the Library’s digitized collection of Pre-Prohibition U.S. mixology books with the goal of inspiring readers to get in touch with history and to practice the art of a flowing punch bowl.

Here’s a quick bit of history, with which you can dazzle your guests.

No one really knows where or when punches originated. Barroom historian David Wondrich in his popular work, “Punch” (2010), suggests the word likely comes from the puncheon, a barrel or cask, used to transport rum from the Caribbean to England. Wondrich suggests that the popularity of the drink can be attributed to sailors, who ran out of beer and wine on their journeys and concocted an “artificial wine from spirits,” mixing up what was on hand to create a new drink. There’s also a bit in the historical record connecting the word “punch” to the Hindu word paanch (or paunch), which means five (for the five elements often included).

Traditional punch bases use rum, brandy or both. Wine and champagne are also common ingredients, and there are also gin and whiskey punches. Exploring punch recipes of the past also introduces us to forgotten beverages such as Catawba wine, made from an early 19th century varietal red grape indigenous in the Northwest United States, and Arrack, one of the world’s oldest distilled beverages, originally made from rice in Indonesia or palm (coconut) sap in India.

The names of punches are often geographical (e.g. Canadian Punch), but they can also be descriptive (e.g. Orange Punch). They can be named after an establishment (e.g. Yale College Punch) or person (e.g. Daniel Webster Punch). And some names are just curious, such as Gothic Punch.

Over the centuries, punch has evolved and become more polished, even non-alcoholic, so there’s plenty for teetotalers.

Okay, ready? Here are three of my favorites for this season. You’ll notice some ingredients that are no longer available and it’s fine to swap in modern ingredients or substitutes. But do remember those five elements that make a punch: spirits, water/ice, sugars, acid, and spice. When all else fails, follow your palate and alcohol tolerance. And, as always, drink responsibly and in moderation.

Transcription of New Year’s Punch recipe from Joseph Gibson’s 1884 “Scientific Bar-Keeping.” 5 bottles of champagne; 1 quart of Jamaica rum; 1 pint of Maraschino; 6 lemons sliced; sugar to taste. Mix the above ingredients in a large punch bowl, then place in the center of the bowl a large square block of ice, ornamented on top with loaf sugar, sliced lemons or organs and Malaga grapes
Recipe: Joseph Gibson, “Scientific Bar-Keeping,” 1884. Science Section.

Let’s start with New Year’s Punch. Joseph Gibson’s 1884 guide on “Scientific Bar-keeping” features a recipe that reuses Professor Jerry Thomas’ 1862 Rocky Mountain Punch, which Thomas had originally described as a “splendid punch for a New Year’s Day.”

These recipes are boozy and include champagne, rum and a pint of maraschino, a cherry liqueur. In many punch recipes, including this one, you will see a call for loaf sugar. This is sugar that is hard and often conical in shape. (This was a popular way to sell sugar prior to the 20th century.) A simple substitute is use granulated or castor sugar, or rocky candy as Thomas suggests. Dress the punch with lemon or orange slices (or both), and Malaga grapes if available (if not, any sweet grapes will do, the sweeter the better).

Transcription of Regents Punch from the 1862 “Bar-tenders Guide” by Jerry Thomas. For a party of twenty. The ingredients for this renowned punch are: 3 bottles of champagne, 1 bottle of Hockheimer, 1 bottle of Curaçao, 1 bottle of Cognac, ½ bottle of Jamaica Rum, 2 bottles of Madeira, 2 bottles of Seltzer, or plain soda water, 4 lbs of bloom raisins. To which add oranges, lemons, rock candy, oranges, lemons, rock candy, and instead of water, green tea to taste. Refrigerate with all the icy power of the Arctic.
 Recipe: Jerry Thomas, “Bar-tenders Guide,” 1862. Science Section.

Next up is Regents Punch, a “renowned punch” from Professor Jerry Thomas, the father of mixology in the U.S., included in his 1862 “Bar-tenders Guide.” This is an exceptionally boozy medley that incorporates champagne, rum, wine (red and white), curaçao and cognac.

If you follow his recipe, note his uses of the abbreviation ‘do’ (i.e. ditto) instead of writing “bottle” after each ingredient.  Should you not have a bottle of Hockheimer on hand, a Reisling will do. And you can substitute a sweet sherry or port for Madiera wine. Don’t have four pounds of Bloom Raisins? You can use any plump raisins and as many of them as you think your guests can handle.

Transcription of Fish House punch recipe from the 1906 Cookbook “Famous Old Receipts used a Hundred Years or more in the Kitchens of the North and South.” The Original Fish House Punch 1732. The Schuykill Fishing Company, organized in 1732 as “The Colony in Schuykill.” In 1871 “The Colony in Schuykill” became “State in Schuykill.” The club exists today and is generally spoken of as the “Fish House.” It is at Cornwell’s Station, New York Division, Penn. R.R., Bucks Co., Pa. Recipe Contributed by Agnes P. Roberts Groome, Mrs. John C. Groome, Philadelphia, PA. Ingredients and instructions include 2 qts. of Jamaica Rum, 1 qt. brandy, 1 qt lemon juice, 1 gill of peach brandy, ¾ of a lb. of loaf sugar, 10 lb. block of ice. Dissolve the sugar in 1 qt of cold water, add lemon juice and place in a bowl, add liquor, which has been previously mixed, then the ice, and allow to brew for two hours, occasionally ladling the punch over the ice.
A recipe that bills itself as the 1732 original of the Fish House Punch. Science Division. Recipe: “Famous Old Receipts used a Hundred Years or more in the Kitchens of the North and South,” 1906. (Cookbooks of era used the term “receipts” instead of “recipe.”)

Our final holiday entry, the Fish House Punch, was suggested by my mentor and former head of the Library’s Science Section, Constance Carter. She tells a hilarious story of making this for the American Library Association’s annual meetings between 1967 and 1976. She would pack her suitcase full of all the accruements needed, send a box of champagne to the hotel and rent a punch bowl. She made the punch in her suite (she kept it chilled in the bathtub) and after a day of presentations, she invited conference attendees to come by and sip.

The Fish House Punch is an early 18th century creation that came from the one of the oldest social and fishing clubs in the U.S., the Colony in Schuylkill (later named the State in Schuylkill), located near present day Philadelphia and established in 1732.

Any way you look at it, a punch bowl punch is a perfect way to bring people together, so let’s raise our cups to this tradition and welcome the shared experience.

Here is a current recipe for Mexican Christmas Punch courtesy of Goya Foods:

Ponche Navideño – Mexican Christmas Punch

Ingredients

Rum, brandy or tequila, to taste – optional

Directions
  1. Bring hibiscus flowers and 1 qt. (4 cups) water to boil in medium pot over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let steep about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, press sharp side of 10 cloves into one orange. Repeat with remaining cloves and orange. Quarter oranges.
  3. Strain hibiscus mixture into large (10-12 qt.) pot; discard solids. To pot, add remaining 5 qts. (20 cups) water, clove-studded orange pieces, tejocotes, guava, sugar cane sticks, piloncillo, apple, pear, prunes, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon sticks. Bring water mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve piloncillo. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring gently, until flavors are completely infused and fruit is tender, about 1 hour.
  4. To serve, ladle drink and fruit into serving mugs. Add liquor, if desired. Serve warm or chilled. 
Spilling Beans

Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney
Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.
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