New and Improved Bartenders' Manual by Harry Johnson (1900, p.237) — Cold
| Lemon juice (fresh) — lemon juice | acid | |
| 1 quart | Batavia arrack — Batavia arrac | base |
| 3 pint | green tea — green tea | dilution |
| 0.5 whole | pineapple — pineapple | garnish |
| 1 quart | port wine — port wine | other |
| 1 lb | sugar — loaf sugar | sweetener |
- Dissolve the loaf sugar in the green tea.
- Add the Batavia arrack, port wine, lemon juice, and sliced pineapple.
- Stir the mixture together.
- Serve iced.
Garnish: Sliced pineapple from the bowl
Ice: Served iced
- Nose
- Tea, dark wine, and arrack produce a more shaded aromatic profile than many fruit-bright punches.
- Palate
- This is a deep cold punch, using tea and port to create weight while still serving it in a refreshing iced mode.
- Finish
- The finish is long, tea-tinged, and dark-fruited.
- Summary
- A cold tea-and-port punch that keeps a darker branch of bowl service visible.
Cold Ruby Punch is a useful counterweight to lighter claret and champagne bowls. It shows that 'cold party punch' could still be structurally rich and tea-based.
Tea is not incidental here; it gives the bowl shape and dryness. This is part of the older serious punch tradition rather than simple fruit refreshment.