At the word punch, many people immediately come up with the image of old England with a traditional meal in a cold winter. In fact, the origin of the punch comes from India.
Translated from Hindi, the word punch means "five". Punch is a cocktail made of alcohol and fruit juices, but only 5 ingredients. Mandatory ones: wine, sugar, juice, spices and rum. Traditionally, it should be drunk hot. This drink is also called pirate, since historically it is believed that the favorite drink of the pirates was rum and it was the pirates who came up with such a drink to keep warm in cold times.
After the punch recipe appeared in Europe, they began to modify it, experiment with taste. Rum began to be replaced by other alcoholic beverages, it is allowed to add fruit slices with honey and herbs. Modern punch is now also consumed cold. If you exclude alcohol from the composition of the drink and replace it, for example, with tea, you will get an excellent cocktail for children. Thus, the drink is considered suitable for everyone. By the way, it is considered aristocratic and expensive compared to a grotto or mulled wine because of its composition, it is much more complicated.
Punch is still served at parties and festive events, both public, corporate and home. If, when watching films, old and modern, you pay attention to drinks on the tables with a large number of guests, then in most cases there will be punch on them. In addition, the punch in a beautiful bowl, of a pleasant refreshing color with floating pieces of fruit - all this looks beautiful on the festive table.
Cooking punch
Anyone can make punch. The difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic punch is at its core. For example, in a non-alcoholic one, juice is taken as a basis and tea, milk, syrup are added. And in alcoholic, the main thing is wine or rum. The base itself is not heated, but simply diluted in hot water, then the syrup is added. Although they warmed up before. But dilution with hot water, according to connoisseurs, creates a more elegant taste.
For the New Year, lovers of fine drinks prepare a punch based on champagne. Unexpectedly, it is served hot and, surprisingly, the festive effervescence is perfectly preserved in it.
Beneficial features
Since the drink contains juices, it is considered fortified and healthy. Provided that juices are used not packaged, but freshly squeezed. Cold punch, depending on its composition, raises the tone of the body. Hot punch dilates blood vessels, warms the body. Well, spices and honey complement the drink with antiseptic properties.
Punch varieties
There are a lot of options for making this versatile drink. It all depends on the mood or the purpose of the cooking.
Cold raspberry punch is a quick option. Contains tea, milk and raspberry syrup. If you replace the syrup with what is in the house (for example, raspberry jam diluted with water), then you still get a punch, only with the name of the existing ingredient (for example, strawberry syrup or just juice).
Sea punch: red and white wine, lemon juice, sugar, tea and, of course, rum.
From the unusual - coffee punch. From the name it already becomes clear that the main ingredient is coffee. More cognac, rum, lemon, sugar and ice.
Take milk punch, for example. An unconventional combination of milk, liqueur, cognac and powdered sugar.
Or a fruit punch. It consists of those kinds of juice, ginger ale, orange. Very refreshing.
Punch is a universal drink. It can be prepared from what is and it will still look festive.
