Hurricane Punch

One of my favorite party tricks is to make a big, delicious punch in my grandmother's antique silver punch bowl, served in her silver punch cups, and hand garnished for each guest.  It's always a statement of the party, one that get's people chatting about family, tradition, and punch.  Punch is also great because people can help themselves, so you don't have to spend the entire night shaking everyone's cocktails!

Grandma's Punch Bowl - A Treasured Family Heirloom
Photo by Meredith Kole

There are good punches and bad punches, but the general rule is "One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak", a rhyme that comes from the recipe for traditional Barbadian Rum Punch. 

The recipe for one of my all time favorite punches comes from a dear friend and flawless hostess, Miss Sklansky.  I have modified it a bit, 750 ml less of Rye whiskey, but it's delicious either way.  I've named my version Hurricane Punch because in the late summer months I fill my freezer with ziplock bags of water for storm preparation, and use the ice blocks in my punches during the remainder of the winter (good weather permitting).  After all, the key to a good punch is good ice, it keeps your punch cold while you can enjoy your party, and it adds the ever important cocktail ingredient, water.

Pre-Batched Punch, Ready to Serve

Hurricane Punch
Serves 15 

1 750 ml bottle Rye Whiskey (Bulleit is a one of my favorites) 
2 cups Ginger Liqueur (Barrows Intense Ginger or Domaine de Canton)
1 cup Freshly Squeezed LemonJuice
2 cups Pineapple Juice
2 cups Orange Juice
¼ cup Demerara Sugar
1/8 cup Luxardo cherry liqueur
A few dashes of Angostura bitters 
Ice Block


Slice a few lemons and float on top of the punch


Garnish:  Filthy Black Cherries, one cherry per serving of punch

Enjoy!

xx