Punch Day Recipe

Wednesday, September 19th, 2018 by

When you think of punch, two things usually come to mind. The first is the typical, artificial red drink with only a scarce fraction of actual juice and a boatload of sugar. The other is the alternative to beer served at adult parties, with an indiscernible sweet flavor you can barely make out over the bite of plastic bottle liquor. Believe it or not, punch (originally panch), is the Hindustani word for five. The traditional five ingredient drink contained alcohol, lemon, sugar, water and tea or spices. In anticipation of National Punch day, we decided to explore the world of punch to find our favorite celebratory version for the festive day.

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Since National Punch day lands on a Thursday, we decided on a non-alcoholic version so we could get festive and still make it to work on Friday. We wanted to integrate loose leaf tea because, in our opinion, tea makes everything at least a little bit tastier! After taste testing quite a few different tea punches, we landed on this Honey Orange Hibiscus Punch. Not only was it a breeze to make, it was so flavorful and fresh, we knew we couldn’t top it. With a combination of orange blossom honey syrup, fresh orange juice, and hibiscus, this punch is equal parts refreshing and autumnal. We love it! It isn’t too sweet or too tart, and that dash of fizziness from the sparkling water screams party!

We hope you celebrate National Punch Day by trying out this fun recipe! Report your findings in the comments below.

 

YIELD: Makes 5 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups – boiling water

1/2 cup Organic Hibiscus

1 1/4 cup – Orange Blossom Honey Syrup

1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice

2 1/2 cups of sparkling water

1 bunch fresh mint leaves

orange peel garnish

ice cubes

 

For Orange Blossom Honey Syrup:

1 cup – orange blossom honey

1/4 cup – hot water

DIRECTIONS

  • Pour boiling water over the hibiscus, cover, and allow to steep for 30 minutes. During this time, make the orange blossom honey syrup. In a saucepan, slowly bring honey and water to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain hibiscus into 2-quart pitcher; add the orange blossom honey syrup, orange juice, and cold water; stir.
  • Pour 10 ounces of the punch into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes and 2 to 3 mint leaves; close tightly and shake. Pour and garnish with orange peel and fresh mint leaves. Serve!

Warm Up With A Cup Of Glogg

Friday, January 15th, 2016 by

Glogg

Our first snow here in New Jersey may have been a light dusting that melted quickly, but we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate winter with this warm, spicy, and boozy Scandinavian drink. Glogg literally means “to glow,” which is exactly what you can expect from your face after a cup or two. It packs a punch. Unlike German mulled wine, vodka and port are added after wine is simmered with spices to ensure no loss of alcoholic potency. Flavored with orange peel, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon, the aroma is a wonderful greeting after shoveling or brushing off a flake or two as the case may be.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1 bottle inexpensive red wine, dry
  • 1/2 cup port
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cloves, whole
  • 2 star anise (optional)
  • 1/2 orange (zest only)
  • 2 generous slices fresh ginger
  • For serving: 1 cup sliced almonds and 1 cup raisins

Directions

Add the orange peel, spices, ginger, and wine to a large saucepan. Heat on low to just below a simmer. Stir in the sugar and cover. Leave the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes, then add the port and vodka and heat until warm. Strain into a heat safe bowl or pitcher. Glogg is traditionally ladled over nuts and raisins (which you can soak in vodka while the wine simmers) in a small cup. You can skip this if you prefer not to eat things at the bottom of your glass. You can easily prepare the wine ahead of time, reheating gently before adding the vodka and port to serve.

A word about the ingredients: there are many variations on this recipe, and it may take some experimentation to create the sweetness and spice level you prefer. The port and sugar make for a sweet drink, so stick with a less sweet wine and adjust the sugar level to your preference. Star anise tends to dominate flavor wise, and may be added at the end (rather than simmered) as a garnish only for a more subtle flavor.

For a nonalcoholic version, check out this recipe for cranberry glogg.