Vanilla Punch
I don’t think Jerry Thomas’s Vanilla Punch could be considered punch by today’s standard. This is mainly because it is at least 75% liquor by volume. Also, personally, I find it a bit cloying. It’s too sweet, too heavy, and just overall too much for my palate. The current Mixology Monday theme is punch, and the host points out that punch should be about the strength of wine [read here]. This Vanilla Punch is, by any measure, much stronger than wine. Maybe in the past, punch was less like wine and more like a punch in the face, but the source quoted by the Mixology Monday host is older than the source of the recipe. So, really, I just don’t know. If you’d like to risk this particular drink, here’s the recipe:
Vanilla Punch
(Use a large bar glass)
1 table-spoonful of sugar.
1 wine-glass of brandy.
The juice of 1/4 of a lemon.Fill the tumbler with shaved ice, shake well, ornament with one or two slices of lemon, and flavor with a few drops of vanilla extract.
This is a delicious drink, and should be imbibed through a glass tube or straw.
Reminder: a wine-glass is the equivalent of two ounces. Also, while the recipe calls for a large bar glass, I recommend a small one due to the actual size of the drink.
