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Punch (Panch) Recipe

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