Punch Drunk Love

Classy punches are making a comeback in a big way on the cocktail party scene. All over Chicago and New York, I've seen punch houses pop up left and right, touting a speakeasy swagger and a deadly kick to their smooth elixirs. With the ease of making a large batch of boozy love, you can easily serve punches as a supplement to your cocktail parties at home. It takes the guesswork out of guests trying to figure out measure and pour something delicious, and it keeps you, the host, from making cocktails endlessly for your guests throughout the night.

With the recipes below that feature a variety of different liquors, you'll be sure to please even the most discriminating palates. These punches pair well with fancy shoes, dazzling smiles, and witty conversation.

Bourbon Fizz Punch

• 2 cups Bourbon
• 2 cups lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup wildflower honey
• 5 sprigs fresh sage
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 4 Tbs. pink peppercorns
• 3 cups semi-sweet sparkling wine
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin wheels

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Culinary Dance Steps:

1. In a small bowl, crush pink peppercorns, sage, and rosemary together to release the flavor in the herbs and spices. Set aside.
2. In a large punch bowl, combine honey, lemon juice, and bourbon. Add crushed herbs and peppercorns.
3. Pour sparkling wine into punch bowl, and gently stir.
4. Add lemon slices to punch, and serve over ice.

Grapefruit Ginny Punch with Mint

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 15 sprigs fresh mint
• 4 cups freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 2 cups Hendricks Gin (or another gin that isn't too heavy in juniper pine flavor)
• 12 dashes orange bitters
• 1 cup club soda

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Mix sugar and water in a small pot - heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add 5 mint sprigs to the syrup and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Strain syrup in a large punch bowl. Mix grapefruit juice, gin and bitters to punch bowl. Add remaining mint sprigs and soda.
3. Serve punch over ice.

Source: Bon Appetit Recipes (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bourbon-punch-with-pink-grapefruit-and-mint)

Hot Gingerbread Punch

• 3 cups water
• 24 ounces of stout beer (like Guinness)
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup peeled and sliced fresh ginger
• 10 whole cloves
• 3 whole cardamom pods, cracked
• 52 cinnamon sticks
• 1 large orange
• 1 /2 cups of dark rum or spiced rum
  
• Whipped cream (optional)

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. In a large pot, mix water, beer, sugar, ginger, cloves, cardamom, 2 cinnamon sticks, the zest (the orange part of the peel) of the orange. On medium heat, bring mixture to a gentle simmer until sugar dissolves.
2. Turn the stove flame to low heat, and let liquid simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Strain punch into a insulated pitcher or small crockpot. Add run and remaining cinnamon sticks.
4. Serve in mugs with dallop of whipped cream.

Source: Bon Appetit Recipes (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/hot-gingerbread-punch)

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 fresh mint sprigs
• 2 750-ml bottles of semi-sweet sparkling wine
• 1 1/2 cups cane sugar white rum
• 1 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 small lemon, sliced into wheels
• 1 small orange, slices into wheels
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

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Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Mix sugar and water in a small pot - heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add mint sprigs to the syrup and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Strain syrup in a large punch bowl. Mix rum, pomegranate juice, and sparkling wine to punch bowl. Gently stir to mix everything
3.  Add pomegranate seeds, lemon slices, and orange slices. Serve over ice.