Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Carousel Punch


We've made this twice in the last week. The first occasion was for Nate and Dwen's baby shower. We made short work of it. The second was for a get together at the Oregon coast for my sister's birthday. That one lasted a little longer as there were too many other choices that started being consumed around 11 am.
It's very easy to make because you don't have to buy a lot of obscure ingredients.
It's a good wintery punch and might be good hot.

750 ml Calvados (or Lairds Bonded Apple Brandy)
750 ml Pimm's No. 1
15 oz. lemon juice
10 oz. fresh pomegranate juice
15 oz. unfiltered apple juice
18 oz. five spice honey syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. Fee Bros. whiskey barrel bitters (or Angostura)
1 oz. Peychaud's bitters (or orange bitters)
Garnish: 20 thin slices of apple

Combine ingredients in a punch bowl and stir. Garnish by slicing apples cross-wise, so the exposed seed chambers create a star shape in the center of each slice.

Five Spice Honey
18 oz. honey
6 oz water
4 whole star anise
20 whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
5 cracked whole nutmegs
12 allspice berries

Toast spices lightly in a skillet. When spices become aromatic, add water and honey, then simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat to extract spice oils. Strain into a clean glass container while still warm. (It will thicken too much to strain easily if allowed to cool.) Keeps refrigerated for three weeks.







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