Punch
Dr. Kitchener was once a considerable authority on all questions of eating or drinking; and he spread abroad a statement which has helplessly been repeated, and starts up unexpectedly in out-of-the-way corners, that Punch-both the name and the drink is of West Indian origin, and means Five. He got the idea of West Indian origin from the rum and the limes which abound in it; but the name is clearly of East Indian growth, and may be recognised in Punjaub-the country of the Five rivers. It is named Punch from the five ingredients which compose it: 1. spirit; 2. acid; 3. spice; 4. sugar; 5. water. English Punch.-1. The spirit is mostly of two kindsbrandy and rum, mixed in proportions which must be left to taste. The rum generally predominates. 2. The acid is nearly always lemon-juice. 3. The spice is nearly always lemon-peel, but sometimes tealeaf, sometimes nutmeg; and as for 4 and 5, the sugar and the water, they explain themselves. Glasgow Punch is made of the coldest spring water.
There are theorists who maintain that punch is always made of hot water, grog of cold water; and that Glasgow punch, therefore, is not punch but grog. Punch is a word which simply means five-it is a composition of five elements; and our receipt for the liquor loved by the West India merchants of Glasgow is classical. It comes from Punch the pen of John Gibson Lockhart, and is to be found in Peter's Letters to his Kinsfolk. "The sugar being melted with a little cold water, the artist squeezed about a dozen lemons through a wooden strainer, and then poured in water enough almost to fill the bowl. In this state the liquor goes by the name of sherbet, and a few of the connoisseurs in his immediate neighbourhood were requested to give their opinion of it for in the mixing of the sherbet lies, according to the Glasgow creed at least, one-half of the whole battle. This being approved by an audible smack from the lips of the umpires, the rum was added to the beverage, I suppose in something about the proportion from one to seven. Last of all, the maker cut a few limes, and running each section rapidly round the rim of his bowl, squeezed in enough of this more delicate acid to flavour the whole composition. In this consists the true tour-de-maître of the punch-maker."
Oxford Punch could not be separated from the name of Oxford-which see.
Cambridge Punch, in like manner, will be found under the name of Cambridge.
Milk Punch. - Over the zest of four lemons and a Seville orange pour a pint of rum ; cover it up, and let it stand for twelve hours. Then strain it, and mix with it another pint of rum, a pint of brandy, a pint of sherry, half a pint of lemon-juice, a pineapple peeled, sliced and pounded, a pint of green tea, a grated nutmeg, a pound of dissolved sugar, the whites of two eggs frothed, two pints of boiling water and two of boiling milk. Mix it well, let it stand for a little time, strain it through a beaver jelly-bag, and bottle it. To be served after turtle soup. Roman Punch. - A bottle of Chablis, the same quantity of syrup at 35°, half the quantity of strained lemon-juice. Put it to freeze, and when pretty well frozen work into it Purées two whites of egg whipt with syrup. Put it to freeze again, and when required for use add to it a glass of rum and a pint of champagne. This used to be served between the courses-that is, immediately before the roast. It now comes oftener after the roast.
Punch Sauce.-Make lemon sauce with half the quantity of water; thicken it with two ounces of butter and a teaspoonful of flour; touch it up with a glass of rum, and serve it very hot.