Gin Punch

John and I used to poo-poo punch, certain that freshly squeezed and shaken drinks were superior. We kept forgetting when it came time to host a party that these made-to-order cocktails kept John in the kitchen all night long, and more often than not he'd never get a drink of his own! So we're punch converts–because they let John enjoy the party, look darling in our milkglass punch bowl and they taste delicious.


Gin Punch

2 lemons
2 limes
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
1 750 mL bottle of gin
4 oz maraschino liqueur
mint
soda water 

Peel the lemons and limes, avoiding the white pith; muddle peels with sugar in a pitcher or punch bowl and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove peels, add lemon juice and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add gin, maraschino liqueur and stir. Immediately before serving, add fresh mint and citrus slices, ice and soda water. Serve in punch or highball glasses.

Notes: The best thing about punch is that it can be made in advance–you can whip this up the night before a festive brunch or in the afternoon before you slip on your party shoes. Any type of gin will perform nicely in this punch; I'm partial to Plymouth, Miller's Westbourne and St George's Botanivore gins. Straw-wrapped Luxardo is my favorite mascharino liqueur, and will look fabulous on your bar cart. Cheers!

Image from Fete Press.