Inspired by the wealth of high-quality, dry American cider available today, St. John Frizell of Fort Defiance in Brooklyn created a low-ABV punch that riffs on a classic champagne punch recipe found in Jerry Thomas' Bartenders Guide (1862), which calls for lemon, orange and pineapple juices.
Frizell says, “The recipe really came together when I added amontillado sherry, which brings a nutty, oxidized tang, and somehow calls to mind fallen leaves, which works well with the bitter-tart flavors of the cider. Altogether, it’s like a walk through an apple orchard in autumn—which is why I named it Windfall Punch, after the apples that the wind blows down from the branches."
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 1⁄3 cups simple syrup
- 2 3⁄4 cups Amontillado sherry, preferably Lustau
- 1 cup rum, preferably Due North
- Angostura orange bitters, to taste
- 5 3⁄4 cups dry hard cider, preferably Naked Flock Citra or Farnum Hill Dooryard
- 2 cups sparkling water
- 15 peels of orange, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Combine sherry, rum, lemon and pineapple juices, and simple syrup in a large punch bowl.
Step 2
Immediately before serving, add a few generous scoops of ice, cider, and sparkling water, and garnish with orange twists.
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