Parties and Punches

My girlfriend and I recently moved into a place together, so we're going to throw a moderately sized housewarming party (~24 guests). We're not on a terribly big budget since we make the glamourous salaries you'd expect from a grad student and postdoc. We'll certainly have an assortment of beer and some wine -- perhaps Big House Red from the box in a few carafes, which is perfectly quaffable if not particularly exciting.

I'd also like to do a punch or some other mixed drinks that can be prepared ahead of time -- something the you can put in a pitcher or bowl for self service. Any creative or favorite things to try?

We're still thinking about food, but it will be a wide spread of appetizer-like snacks and little desserts.

You may want to check out Punch by David Wondrich. There's a bevy of great recipes and techniques in there. I've made a few of them, all of which were quite enjoyable.

=R=

I'd be wary of a punch because everyone is so damn fussy. Oh, it's sooo strong. Oh, I don't like grapefruit. Oh, I'm on a no-sugar diet. Whatever. You'll make a big vat of it and everyone will be drinking the Bud Light (or complaining about your beer selection). I dunno, maybe you have better friends than we do.

Maybe make a couple of cocktail "bases," meaning everything but the booze, and then people can choose which one they want and how strong they want it.

Random thoughts....

Good luck!

teatpuller's comment is interesting because I was thinking the opposite--punch is sooo easy to drink that you might go through more of it if it was pre-made and easy to refill! Must say something about my lushy friends

I do like the suggestion for the bases though--only downside I could see is that if you were going to downgrade a bit on the type of liquor (and, frankly, if you're doing a mixed, sweeter bev, i don't know why you wouldn't--I have absolutely no issue putting Svedka in my vodka based concoctions!!), you might have some noses turned up at your selections...but otherwise, I like the idea.

I've often made a cooler full of mojitos served with a ladle for parties--pretty easy to do and most people like them--the only ingredient besides the alcohol that costs much of anything is the mint.

boudreaulicious wrote:teatpuller's comment is interesting because I was thinking the opposite--punch is sooo easy to drink that you might go through more of it if it was pre-made and easy to refill! Must say something about my lushy friends

Sometimes, I think I live in some sort of Bizarro world so take anything I say with a BIG grain of salt.

I did a punch for a monster Quest wolfman party and put dry ice in it and it was a huge hit!
had to refill it multiple times.
trying to remember the recipe....
I called it wolfsbane
I used some interesting mexican juices to make it taste "different"
I think like passion fruit nectar or guava juice
and I used some orgeat syrup too
pineapple juice
ginger ale + sprite
and cran-rasperry juice so it turned red.
add dry ice and magic!
Guests could add coconut rum or vodka as desired.
Delicious either way
Big hit.

teatpuller wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:teatpuller's comment is interesting because I was thinking the opposite--punch is sooo easy to drink that you might go through more of it if it was pre-made and easy to refill! Must say something about my lushy friends

Sometimes, I think I live in some sort of Bizarro world so take anything I say with a BIG grain of salt.

Only if it's on the rim of a marg glass!

teatpuller wrote:I'd be wary of a punch because everyone is so damn fussy. Oh, it's sooo strong. Oh, I don't like grapefruit. Oh, I'm on a no-sugar diet. Whatever. You'll make a big vat of it and everyone will be drinking the Bud Light (or complaining about your beer selection). I dunno, maybe you have better friends than we do.

Wondrich somewhat addresses this point in Punch by saying that there will always be some people who avoid the punch bowl and that their punishment is quite fitting -- they're left out and don't get any punch!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

teatpuller wrote:I'd be wary of a punch because everyone is so damn fussy. Oh, it's sooo strong. Oh, I don't like grapefruit. Oh, I'm on a no-sugar diet. Whatever. You'll make a big vat of it and everyone will be drinking the Bud Light (or complaining about your beer selection). I dunno, maybe you have better friends than we do.

Wondrich somewhat addresses this point in Punch by saying that there will always be some people who avoid the punch bowl and that their punishment is quite fitting -- they're left out and don't get any punch!

=R=

That, and I'm pretty sure I won't hear "oh no, this has booze in it!" from any of our friends. They are generally easily pleased with food and drink of any kind.

I'll check out the book if I get a chance, and just going with some interesting bases to mix would work as well.

I have been to several events where someone put out the drink fixings with recipes for 1-4 different mixed drinks, then you mixed them up yourself. It was fun, and if someone wanted just soda or just rum, that was an option.

Why don't you make Sangria? Its cheap and easy to make and most people like it. You can make it ahead of time. (a few hours) There are a zillion recipes on the internet.

I suggest not making it too far ahead as the fruit rinds release bitterness. Add the fizzy part right before serving. You can put it in a punch bowl or a pitcher.

I made artillery punch for my last party and it went over really well. The recipe I used was from Gary Regan's Joy of Mixoloy, but there are several recipes for artillery punch online and this one seems pretty close to the one I made: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink937.html

It does fall into that category of punch that goes down easy, but has a pretty high alcohol content. Not sure if that's good or bad for you.

Anyone made especially compelling punches lately? I just got the Wondrich book and have so crowds to refresh this weekend (along with a punchbowl that was a recent gift) so would love recommendations.

annak wrote:Anyone made especially compelling punches lately? I just got the Wondrich book and have so crowds to refresh this weekend (along with a punchbowl that was a recent gift) so would love recommendations.

If you are new to punches I have a few recommendations.

Start your Oleo the day before. making a straight lemon oleo can take a while so use some grapefruit and orange peel. Make it the day before! There is no substitute to that wonderfully rich, oily, bright taste of an overnight oleo.

Make the tea (strong) before and put it in your fridge. Put the booze in your fridge or freezer the night before so your punch will be good and cold.

Don't skip on the water. People will drink a numerous cups, and it helps stretch it. As an added benefit, people won't be toe up due to their own lack of self control.

Fresh grated NUTMEG. Full stop. There is no substitute.

Combine the booze to make it more interesting. Rum and whiskey or rum and brandy works wonderfully.

Make it pretty, for the first 3 minutes before the hoards ravage it like parched Visigoths.

Make some large format ice. Fill up anything (a bundt pan, plastic tupperware?) and freeze it a few days before.

Make up a good name for your punch and people will be more inclined to drink it.

Cheers,
Toby

I had a party a few weeks ago and wanted to try out a warm punch, given that it's winter. I ended up choosing this one and it turned out quite nicely. It went over with my guests very well.

I've made David Wondrich's Rum Punch many times and it's well-received, even by the self-professed picky drinkers:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/D ... -Rum-Punch

I use tea leaves that I purchased from Sun Wah for a few bucks, steeped extra strong so that it's almost pitch black.

An appropriate thread to share my finds from a recent visit to Milwaukee. The punch cart came from a resale shop in Elm Grove. The bowl was in my parent's basement (there was also a red plastic one with a fruit motif that Mom wouldn't part with). Now I just need an excuse to make punch...

Beautiful cart! We had a hit with a mix of 1 part rum, 1/2-1 part fresh lime juice, 1 part domaine de canton, 2-3 parts prosecco. Also reprised the tasty and lethally strong bourbon-fresh tangerine - allspice dram the NYT calls "Wenzhou Punch."

I made a white wine punch for a bunch of our college seniors who graduated last year. It wasn't too expensive to make and was a hit. I used Trader Joes Charles Shaw sauvignon blanc, orange curaçao, lemon lime soda, and frozen strawberries. Yeah, it seems a little trashy, but it was for college students and was a step up from that jungle juice I used to drink at frat parties.

here I am again in this thread! thinking through some rum punch ideas and would love tales of recent successes!

I made a punch I was pretty happy with for a BBQ at Attrill's-- bottle of Death Door gin, bottle of prosecco, cup or two of Blood Orange Cointreau (Petite Gourmande brought this back from a recent trip to Europe--probably not available here but regular Cointreau would work fine), Creole bitters and orange slices--I thought it was pretty tasty!!