1881 American and Other Drinks (second edition) Hard cover by Leo Engel

PUNCH.

rubbing and mixing process being thoroughly performed. Then mix this up well with boiling water (soft water is best) till the whole is rather cool. When this mixture(which is now called the Sherbet)is to your taste, take brandy and rum in equal quantities and put them to it, again mixing the whole well together. The quantity of spirit must be according to taste. Two good lemons are generally enough to make four quarts of punch, with half a pound of sugar,but this depends much upon the taste and upon the strength ofthe spirit. As the pulp is disagreeable to some persons, the Sherbet may be strained before the liquor is put in. Some strain the lemon before they put it to the sugar,but that is improper; for when the pulp and sugar are mixed well together,they add much to the richness of the punch. When only rum is used, about hajf a pint of porter will soften the punch; and even when both rum and brandy are used,the porter gives a richness and,to some,a very pleasant flavour. OXFORD PUNCH. I have been favoured byan English gentleman with the following recipe for the concoction of punch as drunk by the students of the University of Oxford:—Rub the rinds of three fresh lemons with loaf sugar till you have extracted a portion of the juice; cut the peel finely offtwo sweet oranges; add six glasses of calPs-foot jelly. Let all be put into a large jug and stirred well together. Pour in two quarts of boiling water, and set the jug upon the hob for twenty minutes,strain the liquor through a fine sieve into a large bowl,pour in a bottle of Capillaire,* halfa pint ofsherry,a pint of Cognac,a pint of old Jamaica rum,a quart of orange shrub, stir well as you pour in the spirit. If you find it requires more sweet ness, add sugar to taste. * Receipt for making Capillaire:—To one gallon of water add twenty- eight pounds of loaf sugar, put over the fire to simmer, when milk warm add the whites of four or five eggs, well beaten; as these simmer with the syrup, skim it well, then pour it off, and flavour with orange-flower water,or bitter almonds, whichever you prefer. 47