Punch

Style

A punch is a drink made from spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice, mixed in a bowl for a group.

Classic parts: Spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice
Rhyme ratio: 1 sour, 2 sweet, 3 strong, 4 weak
Earliest Caribbean record: Barbados, 1694
Origin: 17th-century India, with English sailors and traders
Formula: 1 part sour (citrus), 2 parts sweet (sugar or syrup), 3 parts strong (spirit), 4 parts weak (water, tea or ice), with grated nutmeg

What punch means

Think of punch as a style more than one recipe. You build the parts in a big bowl and serve small cups to a group. For a single serve, mix one drink and pour it over ice in a Collins glass. The classic parts are spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice, and you finish with grated nutmeg. You will see punch on party menus and in batch recipes.

The old rhyme sets the ratio: 1 sour, 2 sweet, 3 strong and 4 weak. Treat it as a folk rule of thumb, not a law. Many sources flip it to 2 sour and 1 sweet, because 1 sour to 2 sweet can taste heavy. Myers's rum published the reversed ratio in 1939.

Most beginners assume the name comes from the Hindi word panch, meaning five, for its five ingredients. The story is dated to 1698, but no Indian drink called panch is recorded before the English word, so the link stays unproven. The earliest Caribbean record is from Barbados, in 1694. Punch's origin is traced to 17th-century India, with English sailors and traders.

How to make a punch

You can mix punch in a bowl for a group, or make one serve over ice.

1.Pick one part citrus, such as lemon or lime juice, as the sour part.
2.Add two parts sugar or syrup as the sweet part.
3.Add three parts spirit as the strong part, such as rum.
4.Add four parts weak, such as water or tea, and mix everything together.
5.Serve in small cups, or pour one serve over ice in a Collins glass, and grate nutmeg on top.

Punch compared

Milk punchMilk punch is punch clarified with milk. The milk is strained out and leaves a clear, smooth drink.
Batch cocktailsBatching is a method for any drink. Punch is a style built to be made in a bowl for many people.
Fruit punchFruit punch is a sweet juice drink, usually without alcohol. Cocktail punch is spirit-based.
SourMany trace the sour back to punch. It has the same spirit, citrus and sugar, but it is made as one short drink.

Examples

Planter's Punch
Fish House Punch
Milk Punch
Pisco Punch
Rum Punch
Regent's Punch

Related terms

Ingredients

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.