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Punch (Panch) Recipe

Original alcoholic beverage made with country liquor water sugar lime juice and brewed black tea

During 16th century, the British discovered Panch in India. In Hindi, 'Panch' means five. Original Punch was not sweet and fruity children's beverage like Kool-Aid. Indian Panch was an alcoholic beverages consisting of five ingredients.

It is believed that the original Panch ingredients were: Water, Sugar, Tea, Lime, and Arrack (Country liquor made of Sugar cane).

Last Essays and Popular Fallacies" By Lamb, Charles. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1898. Mr. Lamb notes the recipe consisting of seven ingredients for Punch by Billy Dawson (a noted New England punch brewer) as follows:

'I can and do make good Punch, because I do nothing else, and this is my way of doing it. I retire to a solitary corner with my ingredients ready sorted; they are as follows, and I mix them in the order they are here written. Sugar, twelve tolerable lumps; hot water, one pint; lemons, two, the juice and peel; old Jamaica rum, two gills; brandy, one gill; porter or stout, half a gill; arrack, a slight dash. I allow myself five minutes to make a bowl in the foregoing proportions, carefully stirring the mixture as I furnish the ingredients until it actually foams; and then Kangaroos! how beautiful it is!'

My interpretation:

Sugar: 12 cubes

Hot water: 2 cups

Lemons: 2

Rum: 1 Cup

Brandy: ½ Cup

Dark beer: ¼ Cup

Ever clear vodka (190 proof): One Tablespoon