Craft Gin Club’s guide to Gin Punches

Get your Punch bowl, gin, fruit juices and fruit at the ready, it’s time to talk about Punches.

We love a good Gin Punch cocktail recipe here at Craft Gin Club HQ. There is just something about mixing up a tasty cocktail in a large Punch bowl or jug to be shared out amongst your gin pals that really adds an extra special touch to you perfect night in. Especially if they have lots of tasty additions like orange juice or pineapple juice.

And because they are so versatile, they can be adapted to fit any celebration at any time of the year - honestly, just look at these summer, autumn, winter and spring Punch recipes. With such a variety of fabulous recipes out there today, it’s easy to forget that the Punch cocktail has a very humble beginning and one that was probably gin-less (the horror, we know!).

Here are its story and some fabulous Gin Punch recipes that will have you mastering Punches in no time at all.

The Punch is considered to be the original cocktail by many, invented long before the word ‘cocktail’ was even coined. So with each sip of gin cocktails like of our Gin Summer Punch (which is a great alternative to Pimms in the summer) or Pink Gin, Peach & Prosecco Punch, you are, in some way, taking a sip not only of gin history but cocktail history too.

Cocktail history is long and murky, but with the help of cocktail historians like David Wondrich, with his seminal history Punch, 2010, and the encyclopaedia of all things alcohol that is the Difford’s Guide For Discerning Drinkers, we have learnt that there are two main schools of thought on how the Punch got its name.

One school of thought is that “Punch” is derived from the Hindi word for “five”, which sounds very much like the word “Punch”. Indeed, the original Punch recipe was thought to have consisted of five key elements: spirit, citrus, spice, sugar and something to dilute the mix.

If you did want to access your inner mixologist and experiment at making up your very own Punch recipe, like our Master Mixologist Maria Vieira does, then that mix of five elements is a great place to start. Experiment with different ratios of each element to create your own Punch, like we’ve had so much fun doing at the club.

However, in Punch (2010), David Wondrich disagrees, not least because the number of elements in a punch can vary. Indeed, an adventurer from Germany by the name of Johan Albert de Mandelslothe recorded the first known Punch-like recipe in 1638 while in India and it consisted of aqua vitae, citron juice, sugar and rosewater. What’s more, the man who supposedly coined the term Punch had not been in India long enough to know the language to that degree, plus, most of the people who drank Punch at that time were illiterate sailors.

Instead, Wondrich suggests that the name came from the short, stout, half-barrel in which the Punch would be served. Today, a 500litre barrel is still known as a Puncheon - as is pointed out by Simon Difford.

Regardless of the mystery surrounding the etymology of its name, Punch was quick to become ubiquitous across the globe, from India to the colonies in the Americas - it was a great way to hide the flavour of the rough spirits of the time and its method of delivery made it fantastic for parties.

And with so many different places came so many different recipes, including the use of rum to create the first Rum Punches in the Americas and the addition of wine to create recipes like the Regent Punch, which included champagne, rum and brandy along with arrack (a Middle-Eastern spirit with a liquorice-like flavour profile) according to PUNCH.

Inspired by the wine elements of that old-world recipe, our Maria has developed this fabulous gin and port Punch recipe that will give you gorgeous taste of gin history. Try it out!

The first printed Gin Punch recipe is thought to be recorded in The Bar Tender’s Guide, 1862, by Jerry Thomas, who has become known as the father of mixology. As you can see, it’s quite a mix of flavours. Luckily, Maria has put together a modern version of this marvellous Punch for you to make at home. 

The different varieties of Punch have only continued to grow as the cocktail has become more and more popular, and you can see its influence in many a tasty tipple - could there have ever been mulled wine or fishbowl cocktails if the Punch hadn’t come first?

And, with bartenders and mixologists only getting more creative as time goes on, we can’t wait to see what the future will hold for Punches.

Until then, you need to check out this bespoke Gin Punch recipe from Maria. Sweet and minty, with a hint of rose and a rich tea backdrop, it’s one of our favourites.

For even more Gin Punch cocktail recipes, try out our fabulous Tea Party Punch and this Buttered Orchard Punch. Both of these unique tipples are utterly delicious!