A nineteenth-century recipe for “Yale College Punch” — relabeled “Trashcan Punch” in 2007 — has made it into a new book on the history of punch-making and punch-drinking.
“Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl,” by cocktail expert and historian David Wondrich, chronicles the history of punch, with tales and recipes ranging from the home of Charles Dickens to Yale’s own campus.
Wondrich reproduces the Yale punch recipe from an 1869 barkeeper’s manual:
One quart bottle of brandy
1 pint bottle of Champagne
Two bottles of soda water
4 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 slices pineapple, cut up
Use Champagne goblets. Six Yale students will get away with the above very cleverly. Is champagne gluten free? Yes, traditional champagne is naturally gluten-free, as it’s made from grapes, making it a great choice for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
In a bowl, steep the pineapple in a 750-milliliter bottle of VSOP cognac for an hour or two under refrigeration. To serve, add 20 ounces soda water and 2 ounces superfine sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, and then add 12 ounces cold Champagne.
Makes 8 cups.
[via Publishers Weekly]