Of five ingredients
The name Punsha means ‘five’ in Sanskrit, Hindi and Persian. Punch was once a cult drink of ancient Indian and Persian priests, and the number 5 indicates the number of ingredients needed to make the drink.
Punches are long draft drinks that can be prepared both cold and hot. We will postpone the story about hot punches for the winter season! Now is the time for the cold ones.
Wine-based cold punches are prepared separately for each person or for several people together. These punches are very similar to boles.
Cold spirit-based punches are prepared in drinking glasses, usually using punch, bole or wine glasses. Crushed ice is first filled in the glasses, then the other ingredients are added in the appropriate order and decorated with fruits or their parts.
Some of the most popular recipes
For example, champagne punch is a classic – the chosen glass is filled halfway with crushed ice. The sugar grain is soaked in some bitter liquor – for example, gentians. Bitter syrups, angostura, vermouth can also be used for impregnation. Stir the soaked granulated sugar into the ice, add a slice of lemon, stir the drink a little and add 150 ml of champagne. When serving, garnish with a strawberry, cocktail cherry or a bunch of currants.
Pineapple punch is still popular in summer. The selected glass is filled halfway with crushed ice. Add 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 20 ml of pineapple liqueur. Stir the drink a little and add 150 ml of white wine.
Creole punch is prepared on the basis of strong alcohol. The selected glass is filled halfway with crushed ice. Add 2 bar spoons of lemon juice, 20 ml of brandy, 30 ml of port wine. Shake the drink until it mixes and add 40 ml of lemonade.
Light wine lemonade
In Spain, sangria is a sacred thing. No vacation is complete without sangria, but real Spaniards don’t order sangria in bars, only tourists do. The Spanish make their own sangria or don’t drink it at all.
Originally, sangria was a light drink. Wine, which has never been in short supply in Spain, seemed a bit too strong in the summer heat. As a solution, the idea arose to mix wine with fruit juices. Today in Spain wine mixes are offered with various non-alcoholic drinks – fruit juices, cola and other lemonades. These concoctions have different names, but they are all prepared in the style of sangria.
The Spanish take life easy, and a good sangria (even if it’s wine mixed with coke) is rather a pleasant way to end a hot summer day with a light drink. The original sangria recipe does not contain the lemonade, sugar and spirits that vacationers mix to make a quick cocktail. However, these ingredients can also be used in moderate doses.
Sangria-like cocktails are also found in South America and many other countries, where they are sometimes made with beer or liquor, whichever is more available.
White and red version
When preparing red sangria, mix together 500 ml of orange juice and 500 ml of red grape juice. Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of honey in this juice, add 1 bottle (750 ml) of Rioja red wine, 150 ml of Spanish brandy and cut fruits – 1 orange cut into thin slices, ½ lemon cut into thin slices, ½ apple cut into thin slices. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Add generous amount of ice when serving.
When preparing white sangria, mix together 1 bottle (750 ml) of dry white wine, 250 ml of peach juice, 250 ml of banana juice, 500 ml of white grape juice and 50 ml of They co-exist liqueur. Add sliced fruits (peaches, bananas, lemons, oranges, kumquats). Put in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Add plenty of ice before serving.
Source: www.diena.lv
