Punch

Punch is a refreshing summer drink made of wine, sparkling wine and fruit or herbs. Colourful, fruity and well chilled, this fizzy classic guarantees fruity enjoyment.

Facts

  • 3-5

    ingredients

  • 18.

    century

  • 50s

    years

There’s really not much you can do wrong with this fruity cocktail – if you keep a few simple basic rules in mind:

  • The best punches only use a couple of ingredients.  
  • A punch is only ever as good as the wine or sparkling wine used in its making. German quality wine, a light Kabinett and fruity Winzersekt are excellent choices.
  • Only use fresh and fully ripe fruit.
  • Peel and chop the fruit carefully – do not crush it.
  • To get the fruit to develop its full aroma, just sugar it lightly or marinate it in grape liqueur. If you prefer a sweet punch, use sweet wines.
  • Only add – well chilled – sparkling wine and mineral water just before you serve the punch. This way, you’ll keep it fizzing for that much longer.
  • The ideal serving temperature for a punch is 5-8 °C, slightly cooler than for wine.

Do not add ice cubes to the punch. This will water it down. Best place the punch bowl inside a larger bowl filled with crushed ice.

And another thing: Once the punch is dwindling, do not top it up. It’s better to serve a good wine after the punch is finished.

Strawberry punch

Prepare a large plate full of fresh strawberries. Cut larger strawberries in half or quarter them. Sprinkle with sugar and let them sit for a while to release their juice. Alternatively, marinate the fruit in grape liqueur. Next, place fruit and juice in a punch bowl and let them steep in a little wine. Later, add 4-5 bottles of wine, such as well chilled rosé or Weißherbst. If possible, place the punch bowl on crushed ice. Just before serving, add a bottle of German Winzersekt and enjoy.

Peach punch

Peel 6-8 ripe peaches, cut them in half and remove the stones. Sprinkle the fruit pieces with sugar and let them steep. Next, add 3-4 bottles of wine, such as Riesling or Silvaner, and let the mixture steep for a couple of hours, preferably on ice. Just before serving, add a bottle of German Winzersekt for that zesty finishing touch.

Kumquat punch

Wash 15 kumquats in hot water, dry them and cut them into thin slices. Sprinkle with brown sugar and add a little wine, such as Pinot Gris or a mature Riesling. Let the mixture steep for a couple of hours, then top up with 2 bottles of wine and leave it to steep for some more time on ice. Just before serving, add a bottle of Winzersekt for that delightful sparkle.

How punch got its name

The German term for the refreshing summer cocktail made of wine and fruit is Bowle, derived from the English word “bowl”. Allegedly, the cocktail was invented by British colonial officers in India. To invigorate themselves and to overcome the sheer boredom of Colonial life, they got their Indian servants to create drinks for them that used at least five – or “punch” in Hindi – ingredients. Those were then served to the officers in a large “punchbowl”.

Thus the British started the fashion for punches in Europe in the 18th century. Initially reserved to nobility, drinking punch soon became a favourite pastime in bourgeois circles as well. The favourite drink of the 19th century high society later became the party craze of the 1950s. Today, the cocktail is becoming fashionable once again as an invigorating, fresh and fruity drink for the summer.

Do you know any other kind of punch than the traditional punch?

Besides the traditional punch like Cold Whisky Punch, Roman Punch, Ginger Punch,... for which spirits like brandy and whisky are used, you can also use grape wines to make a punch. How to make it? Find out in this article!

More recipe ideas

the classic with a difference Franconian cider soup

the classic with a difference

  • 500 ml Weißwein (Spätlese)
  • 500 ml Geflügelbrühe
  • 350 ml Sahne
  • 30 Gramm Zwiebeln
  • 30 Gramm Weißes vom Lauch
  • 30 Gramm Sellerie
  • 30 Gramm Karotten
  • 30 Gramm Butter
  • 180 Gramm Mehl
  • 2 Lorbeerblätter
  • 1 EL Butterschmalz
  • 4 Scheiben Weißbrot
  • Nach Belieben Zucker, Muskat, Zimt, Salz

Sauté the vegetables in butter until lightly browned, dust with flour and then add the vegetable stock, wine and 250 ml cream. Add the spices and simmer for approx. 15 minutes.

 

Remove the crusts from the slices of white bread and cut into 1 cm cubes. Fry in hot clarified butter until golden brown and season with cinnamon, whip the remaining cream until stiff.

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<p> Strain the soup and flavour with nutmeg and salt.

 

Pour into deep plates, garnish with whipped cream and the cinnamon crusts.

  • Müller-Thurgau (trocken)
  • Silvaner (trocken)

with fresh chanterelles Autumn bruschetta

with fresh chanterelles

  • 4 Ciabatta-Brötchen
  • 200 Gramm kleine Pfifferlinge
  • 4 EL kleingehackte Petersilie
  • 4 Zehen Knoblauch
  • 80 Gramm Pecorino (Hartkäse)
  • 8 EL kaltgepresstes Olivenöl
  • Eine Prise Salz & Pfeffer

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

 

Clean the chanterelles. Sauté the parsley in a pan with half of the oil, then add the mushrooms and cook over a low heat for approx. 5 minutes.

 

Slice the rolls and bake for approx. 5 minutes until crispy.

 

Chop the garlic into small pieces, spread on the warm bread rolls and drizzle with the other half of the oil. Coarsely grate the pecorino.

 

Stir the chanterelle and parsley mixture into the pecorino and spread over the halves of the rolls.

  • Pinot Gris (trocken)
  • Federweißer (brut nature)

in a bacon coating Lamb

in a bacon coating

  • 4 Stück Lammlachse à 150 g
  • 4 Scheiben Bacon
  • 0,1 Liter Wein
  • 0,3 Liter Gemüsebrühe
  • 1 kleine Schalotte
  • 20 Gramm Butter
  • 4 EL Olivenöl
  • je 2 Zweige Thymian, Rosmarin, Salbei
  • nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer

Season the lamb salmon with pepper and massage 2 tbsp of olive oil into the meat. Finely chop the thyme, rosemary and sage and season the meat in the herbs. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

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<p>Wrap the meat with the bacon slices and sear on all sides in the remaining olive oil. Continue to cook for approx. 4 minutes on each side over a low heat (the cooking time depends on the thickness of the lamb loin - it is best to do a pressure test). Then wrap in aluminium foil and leave to rest in the oven at 80 °C – so they remain juicy and slightly pink on the inside.

 

This goes well with Bärlauch risotto.

  • Dornfelder (trocken)

with chanterelle and onion leek, served with potato and grilled cheese ragout in grilled tomato Chop of Hunsrück veal

with chanterelle and onion leek, served with potato and grilled cheese ragout in grilled tomato

  • 4 x 300 Gramm Kotelettes
  • 250 Gramm Pfifferlinge
  • 4 große Kartoffeln
  • 2 große Grilltomaten
  • 180 Gramm Flammkäse
  • 50 Gramm Knollensellerie
  • 200 ml Spätburgunder
  • 200 ml Sahne
  • 50 Gramm Butterschmalz
  • 2 EL Butter
  • 1 EL Rapsöl
  • 6 Stück Lauchzwiebeln
  • 1 kleine Knoblauchzehe
  • je 1 Zweig Thymian & Rosmarin
  • je 1 TL Majoran & Oregano
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Peel the potatoes, celery and garlic clove, crush the garlic and cut the potatoes and celery into small cubes. Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan, add the potato and celery cubes, sauté briefly and top up with ⅔ of the cream. Season with salt, pepper and the crushed garlic and leave to simmer for approx. 6 minutes. Add the oregano, marjoram,

add a little thyme and the diced flambé cheese and remove from the oven immediately.

 

Season the veal chops with pepper, fry in the pan in hot clarified butter for approx. 3 to 4 minutes on both sides and then cook in the oven at 160 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. Then leave the meat to rest briefly.

 

Cut the grilled tomatoes in half, remove the skin, place on a baking tray and fill with the potato and flambé ragout. Place the baking tray in the oven with the chops for approx. 6 - 7 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of butter and the sprig of rosemary to the roasting mixture, deglaze with the Pinot Noir, reduce a little and refine with the remaining cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Clean the chanterelles and spring onions. Wash the spring onions well, cut into 5 cm pieces, blanch briefly in salted water and rinse in ice water. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan, add the chanterelles and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the spring onions and the rest of the thyme and season with salt and pepper.

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  • Riesling (trocken)