“Punch, my dear Copperfield, like time and tide, waits for no man … I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon-peel and sugar, the odour of burning spirit, and the steam of boiling water, as Mr Micawber did that afternoon. It was wonderful to see his face shining at us out of a thin cloud of these delicate fumes, as he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of a punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity.” – Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
We can’t believe it took this long to discover hot gin punch. Mulled wine nights are going to be facing some pretty stiff competition this winter. Thanks to Laura and High Tea at the Victoria Room for the recipe!
hot gin punch, heavy on the gin part
For six (tea)cups of punch:
3 teacups gin
2 teacups boiling water
1 teacup sweet vermouth
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tbs honey
juice of half a lemon
Just throw it all into your teapot, add more honey or brown sugar to taste, and drink up.
The “teacup” measurement is pretty hard to nail down. We were using espresso cups and so figured we had to double everything. Given the potency of our first pot we could have been mistaken. Still, on a cold night there’s nothing like a strong cuppa!
