Tract · Cocktails

Punch · Built in glass · Historical · complexity 2/5

Yale Punch

A champagne-and-Burgundy bowl punch sharpened with lemon and finished with fruit.

citrus · red_fruit · wine · sparkling · celebratory · party · formal

Served in Punch bowl. Ice: Large clear lumps.

Family

Variants (2)

Modern American Drinks by George J. Kappeler (1895, p.99) — George J. Kappeler 1895

0.5 wholeLemon juice (fresh) — juice of half a lemonacid
4 wholeSugar cube — sugarbase
Seasonal fruit — fruitgarnish
1 quartchampagne — cold dry champagneother
0.5 pintRed Burgundy — red Burgundyother
  1. Put a few large lumps of clear ice into a punch bowl.
  2. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and red Burgundy in the stated proportion.
  3. Mix well, ornament with fruit, pour in the dry champagne last, and serve.

Garnish: Seasonal fruit

Ice: Large clear lumps

Nose
Sparkling wine, red wine, and fresh fruit rise together in a festive bowl aroma.
Palate
This sits between champagne punch and cup service, with the Burgundy adding colour and vinous depth rather than sheer strength.
Finish
The finish is bright, wine-led, and softly citric.
Summary
A bowl punch showing the overlap between champagne punch and wine-cup society service.

Daly's Bartenders' Encyclopedia by Tim Daly (1903, p.106)

2 dasheslemon juice — Source says two or three dashes.acid
1 dashlime juice — Source says one or two dashes.acid
1 wine glassbrandy — brandy (Hennessey)base
0.5 pony glassSt. Croix rum base
1 teaspoonfulsugar — Dissolved in a little water.base
fruit — Use fruit in season.garnish
2 dashesBenedictine — benedictinemodifier
ice — fine iceother
mint — Decorate the top with two or three sprigs.other
2 dashesRaspberry syrup — Source says two or three dashes.sweetener
  1. Dissolve the sugar in a little water and add the citrus, raspberry syrup, Benedictine, St. Croix rum, brandy, and fine ice.
  2. Mix well with a spoon, decorate with mint and seasonal fruit, and serve with straws.

Garnish: Mint sprigs and seasonal fruit

Ice: Fine ice

Daly ties the name to student popularity at Yale and other colleges.

See also: State House Punch, Whiskey Punch