The Best Way to Get Your Friends Drunk (Punch!)

We said “best,” not “easiest.” That said, the large-format drink also known as punch is pretty easy to prepare. (Not as easy as funneling three beers down your gullet, but as easy as pouring some things in a pretty bowl and stirring them with a spoon. And who wants to funnel beers these days, anyway? We’re not 21 anymore. We’re LADIES.)

Punch is festive because 1) it’s entertainingly ladled into little teacups; 2) serving it means everyone is sipping on the same drink, which makes it an icebreaker (“Oh hi, Carl, I’m Judy. What do YOU think of this punch?”); 3) more often than not, it’s heavy on the booze.

We turned to Talia Baiocchi, an editor at the appropriately named PUNCH magazine, for her twist on the classic Philadelphia Fish House Punch. As cocktail guru David Wondrich writes in Imbibe!, the concoction “deserves to be protected by law, taught in the schools, and made a mandatory part of every Fourth of July celebration.” To that, Baiocchi tells us, she would add “Christmas, New Year’s, Back to School Day and really any other day of the year!”

Fruity and aromatic, it’s worth trying out this holiday season. And do check out this video demonstrating how to set punch on fire. Just don’t let your friends handle the matches. You know, once they’re drunk…

Philadelphia Fish House Punch (Winterized)
Servings: 16-18

1 cup sugar
2 cups black tea
3/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups Jamaican rum
2 cups cognac
1/2 cup peach brandy
1/3 cup maraschino liqueur
Lemon wheels and grated nutmeg for garnish

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm tea. Add the lemon juice and spirits. Add a block of ice (for home bartenders, freezing a Bundt pan or bowl full of water overnight is our go-to shortcut) to chill. Garnish with lemon wheels and grated nutmeg. Let dilute for about 30 minutes before serving. Ladle over ice into punch cups, tea cups, rocks glasses, jars or any random combination of holiday drinkware you’ve managed to procure.