Regent’s Punch

Name: Regent’s Punch
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 3 Quarts
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 cup cubed pineapple; 2 lemons; 2 oranges; 1 seville orange (also called bitter or sour orange); 2 green tea bags (or 2 tsp. green tea leaves); 1 cup brandy, preferably VSOP cognac; 1 ⁄ 4 cup dark Jamaican rum; 1 ⁄ 4 cup arrack liquor, preferably Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, or cachaça; 2 (750-ml) bottles brut champagne, chilled; Freshly grated nutmeg

Serves
makes 3 Quarts

VANESSA REES

This tea-infused champagne punch makes an elegant centerpiece for any festive occasion.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup cubed pineapple
2 lemons
2 oranges
1 seville orange (also called bitter or sour orange)
2 green tea bags (or 2 tsp. green tea leaves)
1 cup brandy, preferably VSOP cognac
¹⁄₄ cup dark Jamaican rum
¹⁄₄ cup arrack liquor, preferably Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, or cachaça
2 (750-ml) bottles brut champagne, chilled
Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Step 1

In a 1-qt. saucepan, combine 1⁄2 cup sugar and 1⁄4 cup water. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves; transfer to a bowl along with pineapple. Allow to macerate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours to make a pineapple syrup. Strain and reserve; discard solids.

Step 2

Using a peeler, peel lemons, oranges, and seville orange, taking off as little white pith as possible. Transfer peels to a heavy bowl; reserve fruit. Add remaining sugar; use a muddler or a wooden spoon to vigorously crush sugar and peels together until sugar turns faintly yellow and slushy (see Mastering Muddling).

Step 3

In a medium bowl, steep tea in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain tea over lemon and sugar mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Juice reserved fruit into tea mixture. Strain through a sieve into another bowl; discard solids. Stir in pineapple syrup, brandy, rum, and arrack. Chill mixture. To serve, combine mixture and champagne in a punch bowl along with a large block of ice (see Holidays on Ice). Garnish with nutmeg.

In a 1-qt. saucepan, combine 1⁄2 cup sugar and 1⁄4 cup water. Stir over high heat until sugar dissolves; transfer to a bowl along with pineapple. Allow to macerate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours to make a pineapple syrup. Strain and reserve; discard solids.
Using a peeler, peel lemons, oranges, and seville orange, taking off as little white pith as possible. Transfer peels to a heavy bowl; reserve fruit. Add remaining sugar; use a muddler or a wooden spoon to vigorously crush sugar and peels together until sugar turns faintly yellow and slushy (see Mastering Muddling).
In a medium bowl, steep tea in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain tea over lemon and sugar mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Juice reserved fruit into tea mixture. Strain through a sieve into another bowl; discard solids. Stir in pineapple syrup, brandy, rum, and arrack. Chill mixture. To serve, combine mixture and champagne in a punch bowl along with a large block of ice (see Holidays on Ice). Garnish with nutmeg.