"punch" news and stories

If you love Champagne and want to keep it flowing all night, mix up a punchbowl along with your naked bottles of bubbly. This recipe brings pineapple juice, Cointreau, brandy, and seltzer into the mix for a lively, refreshing drink that screams "festive"! Of course, you might not want to use the extra-special Taittinger Champagne for a punch; less expensive sparkling wines will do just fine. (For sparkler recommendations, see Bargain Bubblies.)

Champagne Punch Recipe

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Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!

1. A solid booze-free basic
2. Classic brandy with cider
3. Heat up some apple juice and put rum and a cinnamon stick in it. No link required!
4. A whiskey version
5. Cider with tequila!
6. An ultimate indulgence with hibiscus and cayenne
7. Decadent cider streudel (streudelly)
8. Chilled and sparkling!

Click here for more things you can do with apple cider.

Whether it's for iced coffee or a party, here are some fun things you can do with ice cubes.

With the six weeks of the holiday season rapidly approaching I thought I would take a look at some of our holiday traditions and ways we celebrate. For all of us it's a time when friends and family get together to give thanks. We think about life and religion, and exchange gifts to show we care. We also have parties to celebrate the old and the new, and to blow off some steam so we don't get too crazy. For many of us, libations are a part of how we celebrate. Eggnog and punch are some of the traditional holiday favorites that we serve, most especially eggnog for Christmas.

My parents came from opposite ends of Europe and moved to the US right after getting married. They were used to celebrating in vastly different ways, but ended up forming their own holiday traditions; some of which have changed over the years to meet our families needs. For us serving eggnog, and the tradition of my father sitting in the kitchen preparing it the day before, signified that we were coming together as family and friends. A time when we celebrate all the reasons why we know and love each other; and to try and forget all our disagreements, stress, and strife. While thinking about all this I thought I would do a little research on these two related holiday beverages: eggnog and punch.

Sangria is a Spanish drink, not a Mexican one, yet it is still one of the most popular beverages served during Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the US. Instead, suggests Julieta Ballesteros, owner of the new Crema Ristorante in New York's Union square, opt for the Mexican alternative: agua loca. The name means "crazy water" and makes the Spanish punch look tame by comparison because it doesn't water down its fruit and alcohol base with any filler, unlike many sangrias, which may use soda water for a light carbonation. As Ballesteros explained to the New York Times, "You're always told, when you start drinking, that mixing different kinds of alcohol will make you crazy."

And the strong drink is not called "crazy water" for nothing.

The recipe below is an adaptation of the one served at Crema. It makes nearly 3 gallons of the drink, so it might be best to scale it back a bit for home use. If you're already having a Cinco de Mayo party, though, it could be just the thing to spice up the night.

 

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