Dry State Punch

A syrup-based citrus punch that comes together in minutes and depends entirely on being cold when it reaches the glass. The one thing to get right is the soda water: it goes in at the table, not in the refrigerator.

• Chill everything firstThe syrup and juice base should be refrigerator-cold before the soda water joins it. Pouring sparkling water into a room-temperature base kills the carbonation immediately and you are left with sweet juice.
• The syrup1 cup water to 1/2 cup sugar boiled together is a light simple syrup. Bring it just to a boil to dissolve the sugar, no longer; there is no point reducing it, and reducing it will throw the sweetness off.
• Juice quantitiesOne grapefruit yields roughly 3/4 cup, one orange about 1/3 cup, one lemon about 3 tablespoons, though fruit varies a good deal in size. Taste the base before it is diluted and add sugar syrup or lemon to balance.
• Pineapple juiceWhat a cook in this period would most likely have used was the juice from canned pineapple packed in syrup, sweeter than modern unsweetened pineapple juice. If yours is unsweetened, expect to want a little more sugar.
• IceThe recipe itself specifies no ice. If you want it, period punch bowls were often served with a single large block, which melts more slowly and dilutes less than cubes: freeze water in a loaf pan or plastic container overnight.
• Citron in the garnishCandied citron — the thick preserved peel sold at holiday baking time — is meant here, not the modern soft drink or lemon of that name. It is optional; extra candied cherries and thin citrus slices do the same job.
• YieldSix servings as written, roughly five cups (a little over a quart) once the pint of soda water is in. It scales directly if you keep the soda water at one pint per batch and add it in stages so the bowl stays lively.