Mrs Beetons Drinks Recipes Revisited
Punch
Punch is a beverage made of various spirituous liquors or wine, hot water, the acid juice of fruits and sugar.
It is considered to be very intoxicating, but this is probably because the spirit, being partly sheathed by the mucilaginous juice and the sugar, its strength does not appear to the taste so great as it really is.
Punch, which was almost universally drunk among the middle classes about fifty or sixty years ago, has almost disappeared from our domestic tables, being superseded by wine.
There are many different varieties of punch. It is sometimes kept cold in bottles and makes a most agreeable summer drink.
In Scotland instead of the Madeira or sherry generally used in its manufacture, whiskey is substituted and then its insidious properties are more than usually felt.
Where fresh lemons cannot be had for punch or similar beverages, crystallized citric acid and a few drops of the essence of lemon will be very nearly the same thing. In the composition of 'Regent’s punch,' champagne, brandy and veritable Martinique are required.
'Norfolk punch' requires Seville oranges.
'Milk punch' may be extemporized by adding a little hot milk to lemonade and then straining it through a jelly bag.
Then there are 'Wine punch,' 'Tea punch,' and 'French punch,' made with lemons, spirits and wine, in fantastic proportions.
But of all the compounds of these materials, perhaps, for a summer drink, the North American 'mint julep' is the most inviting.
Captain Marryat gives the following recipe for its preparation:
'Put into a tumbler about a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint, upon them put a spoonful of white sugar and equal proportions of peach and common brandy, so as to fill up one third or, perhaps, a little less.
Then take rasped or pounded ice and fill up the tumbler.
Epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh pineapple and the tumbler itself is very often encrusted outside with stalactites of ice.
As the ice melts, you drink.'
The Virginians, say Captain Marryat, claim the merit of having invented this superb compound, but, from a passage in the 'Comus' of Milton, he claims it for his own country.
PUNCH is a beverage made of various spirituous liquors or wine, hot water, the acid juice of fruits, and sugar. It is considered to be very intoxicating; but this is probably because the spirit, being partly sheathed by the mucilaginous juice and the sugar, its strength does not appear to the taste so great as it really is. Punch, which was almost universally drunk among the middle classes about fifty or sixty years ago, has almost disappeared from our domestic tables, being superseded by wine. There are many different varieties of punch. It is sometimes kept cold in bottles, and makes a most agreeable summer drink. In Scotland, instead of the Madeira or sherry generally used in its manufacture, whiskey is substituted, and then its insidious properties are more than usually felt. Where fresh lemons cannot be had for punch or similar beverages, crystallized citric acid and a few drops of the essence of lemon will be very nearly the same thing. In the composition of “Regent’s punch,” champagne, brandy, and veritable Martinique are required; “Norfolk punch” requires Seville oranges; “Milk punch” may be extemporized by adding a little hot milk to lemonade, and then straining it through a jelly-bag. Then there are “Wine punch,” “Tea punch,” and “French punch,” made with lemons, spirits, and wine, in fantastic proportions. But of all the compounds of these materials, perhaps, for a summer drink, the North–American “mint julep” is the most inviting. Captain Marryat gives the following recipe for its preparation:—“Put into a tumbler about a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint; upon them put a spoonful of white sugar, and equal proportions of peach and common brandy, so as to fill up one third, or, perhaps, a little less; then take rasped or pounded ice, and fill up the tumbler. Epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh pineapple; and the tumbler itself is very often encrusted outside with stalactites of ice. As the ice melts, you drink.” The Virginians, say Captain Marryat, claim the merit of having invented this superb compound; but, from a passage in the “Comus” of Milton, he claims it for his own country.
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