Christmas punch recipe

[Loudoun Lady]

Do you you have an authentic Christmas punch recipe to share? I'm hosting a holiday gathering of re-enacting friends and would like to serve a punch that both adults and children will find delicious - and that the adults can add an intoxicant to if they so desire. I've searched online and through my limited library and haven't found anything inspiring.

With kind regards,

Karen Quanbeck

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: Christmas punch recipe

Karen,

In my search of Google books limiting my results for works published 1830-1865 I did not find any receipt for a specific "Christmas punch." However there are numerous punch receipts in cookbooks of the era. For some examples:

See: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/...kery/dcvb.html

http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/books/ladiesnewbook/ldnw.html

http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/books/practicalhousekeeper/prho.html

However, in none of the punch receipts that I have seen was alcohol not included.

Some "temperance drinks" are available in the more reserved cook book of Catherine Beecher: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/...cher/beec.html

[advanceguard]

Re: Christmas punch recipe

If you need a quick back up *For Adults*, try the spiced wine from this web-site. Served cold or heated it is incredible. The Brotherhood Winery is the oldest winery in the U.S. and the Spiced Wine recipe is over 150 years old. I personally use it at any seasonal historical party I am involved with.

http://www.brotherhoodwinery.net/bro_order.taf?_function=view&ct_id=5

I am,

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Christmas punch recipe

Did you try this one? The famous Bon Vivant's Companion- published New York 1862:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QDUEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+bon+vivant's+companion&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

You could possibly modify the ingredient quantities to the desired amount you wish to make as well as find a recipe that might allow you to omit the alcohol if you choose to do so.

Some of these drinks sound absolutely delicious! We had some of them in the tavern at W'64 back in 2008. Taste tested and approved... :D

All the best- Johnny Lloyd:wink_smil

[MrsArmstrong]

Re: Christmas punch recipe

Here are some sources for punch recipes. Christmas time also brings up a lot of egg-nog recipes!

http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=100&lr=&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=punch&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=1&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=cook-book&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1855&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1865&as_isbn=&as_issn=

For children, why not serve lemonade, which is a period drink.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year :D

Susan Armstrong

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/19thcenturyfoodways/

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