A can’t-miss gin punch for your next party

As a favour to Toronto photographer Paddy Jane, who had two shows open in late spring, I came up with a citrusy-sweet-floral gin punch to serve at her openings.

Scroll down and look at the recipe. I know you’re thinking it looks complicated. It’s definitely best suited to you A-student home bartenders and home entertainers out there. But like all punches it prevents headaches. Making show off-y drinks ahead of time will make it more fun to entertain. It’s just another way to win at drinking.

Something of a throwback to the Victorian era, this punch was a big hit with guests at both a North by Northeast party and photography show at Hashtag Gallery and, earlier, at Cabaret Vintage, where Paddy’s show of sexy vintage-style boudoir shots was part of the Contact Photography Festival. In honour of the woman of both hours, I’m going to call it Paddy Jane Punch.

The recipe is a riff on the Limmer’s punch described in David Wondrich’s fantastic 2010 book Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl and would be impossible without his research.

You could use other gins but the cucumber and rose petal flavours of Hendrick’s make it by far the ideal.

Herewith, Paddy Jane Punch:

(Use the suggested amounts to make 3.75 litres of punch, which will yield roughly 37 servings of 100 mL)

• 10 parts gin (ideally Hendrick’s) — 750 mL
• 3 parts freshly squeezed lemon juice — 225 mL
• 2 parts orange flower syrup* — 150 mL
• 10 parts green tea — 750 mL
• 20 parts soda — 1.5 L
• rosewater to spritz

Method:

* To make orange flower syrup, you will need cane sugar and orange flower water. Heat two parts cane sugar and one part water in a saucepan over low to medium heat (do not boil) and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add a dash of orange flower water — 1/4 teaspoon is more than enough. You’ll only need a little bit of syrup for this recipe, but may as well start with a two-cups-of-sugar version.

1. At least one day beforehand, create a large ice block — appropriate to the size of your serving vessel (e.g. a punch bowl) — by filling a large food container with water and putting in the freezer. A large ice block will melt slowly, keeping the punch cold

2. Prepare your green tea. I used a hella fancy green tea infused with rose petals and sakura (Japanese cherry), but maybe you’re not as special as I am, and I guess that’s OK.

3. Mix all ingredients except soda and rosewater in a large vessel/punch bowl

4. Put a small amount of rosewater in an eye dropper or oil mister and apply to surface of the drink when serving. Guests will ooh and ahh. I promise.