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!

to sweet selections Apple doughnuts with vanilla sauce

to sweet selections

  • 5 große, säuerliche Äpfel
  • 200 Gramm Mehl
  • 2 Eier
  • 250 ml Milch
  • 2 EL Rum
  • Nach Bedarf Schmalz oder Öl
  • Nach Belieben Zimt, Zucker, Salz

Peel the apples and remove the core, cut into finger-thick, even slices. Drizzle with rum and sugar. Leave to infuse.

 

Stir the batter, it should be quite thick. Turn the apple rings in it and bake floating in hot fat until golden brown.

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<p>Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with cinnamon and sugar.

  • Riesling (süß & edelsüß)
  • Scheurebe (süß & edelsüß)

with semi-frozen goat's milk Lavender waffles

with semi-frozen goat's milk

  • 2 Stück Eigelb
  • 60 ml Ziegenmilch
  • 500 Gramm weiße Kuvertüre
  • 125 ml Sahne
  • Abrieb und Saft einer halben Orange
  • 2 cl Tresterbrand
  • 8 Blatt Minze
  • 125 Gramm Mehl

Semi-frozen goat's milk: Beat the egg yolks and goat's milk in a bowl over a hot bain-marie until creamy. Remove from the bain-marie and beat the cream until cold. Flavour with the zest of the orange and the marc brandy.

 

Liquefy the couverture in a bain-marie and stir into the lukewarm egg mixture. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold in. Line a parfait tin (triangular or gutter shape) with cling film. Pour in the mixture and smooth out. Cover well with cling film and leave to freeze in the freezer for at least 8 hours.

 

About 20 minutes before serving, remove the mould from the freezer and turn the parfait out of the mould. Remove the foil and cut the semi-frozen parfait into 8 slices.

<p

 

<p>Lavender wafers: Lightly mash the butter in a mixing bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and stir a little. Add half of the milk, the lavender sugar and the baking powder. Stir in the eggs and finally the rest of the milk. Mix everything well with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes to create a homogeneous, slightly liquid mixture. Bake the batter in batches in a waffle iron until golden brown.</p

 

<p>Arrange 2 slices of semifreddo on each waffle on a flat plate and decorate with mint leaves.

  • Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)

Japanese hollandaise succeeds with wasabi paste Salmon with Japanese hollandaise and green asparagus

Combine salmon with hollandaise and asparagus with a dry Riesling.

  • 4x 150g Lachsfilet mit Haut
  • 1 Limette
  • 2 Zehen Knoblauch
  • 4 EL Honig
  • 10 EL Sojasauce
  • 200g Butter
  • 4 Eier
  • 1 EL Joghurt
  • 2 EL Reisessig
  • 2 EL Wasabipaste
  • 500 g Grüner Spargel

For the marinade, finely chop the garlic first. Wash the lime in hot water, grate the zest and squeeze out the juice and bring everything to the boil with the honey and soya sauce. Put to one side.

 

Now prepare the Japanese hollandaise: Bring 180g butter to the boil. Place the egg yolks, yoghurt, rice vinegar, wasabi paste and a pinch of salt in a tall measuring jug and mix with a hand blender. Gradually mix the boiling (!) butter into the egg yolks using a hand blender. Season the hollandaise with salt and pepper to taste and keep the measuring jug warm in hot water.

 

Peel the bottom third of 500 g green asparagus and cut off the ends. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pan. Add the asparagus to the pan, pour in 50 ml water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to the boil briefly.

 

Fry the salmon fillets on the skin side in a little oil for about 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and fry for a further 2 minutes. Then turn again and baste with the marinade. Remove the salmon from the pan and reduce the marinade until thick. Brush the salmon with it. Serve the salmon with the hollandaise and asparagus. Enjoy your meal!

 

Wine recommendation:

 

WINE TIP: Dry Rielsing

  • Riesling (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)