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Holland Punch
The grated rind of 2 lemons, the juice of 6, the grated rind of 1 orange and the juice of 2, then grate I medium-sized pineapple. Now make a boil- the and pour it over the ing syrup of 2 pounds of sugar and 2 quarts of water and pour it over above. When cold, strain through a cloth and freeze in the manner of other punches. Then add 2 scant gills of fine Schiedam gin and 1 pint of champagne cider and the usual quantity of Italian meringue mixture, color it a delicate pink.
A soda-fountain frozen punch: a citrus and pineapple syrup, churned to a slush, then loosened with spirits, cider and meringue. The alcohol goes in after freezing for a reason.
- Gills and quantitiesA gill is half a cup, so 2 scant gills is a little under a cup of gin. The syrup base is 2 lb sugar boiled with 2 quarts water, which with the fruit juices and grated pineapple makes something in the region of three quarts before the gin, cider and meringue go in.
- Schiedam ginThis means Holland gin, that is genever — malty, faintly sweet, closer to a young whiskey than to London dry. Modern jenever, ideally an oude style, is the right substitute; London dry will make the punch sharply piney.
- Champagne ciderSparkling apple cider, sold both hard and sweet in this period. Either works; a dry sparkling hard cider keeps the punch from cloying against 2 lb of sugar.
- Add the alcohol lastThe instruction to freeze first and then add gin and cider is the hinge. Alcohol depresses the freezing point, and churning the full mixture from the start will leave you with cold liquid rather than a punch that holds its shape.
- Italian meringueEgg whites beaten with sugar syrup cooked to about 240F, which gives the punch its body. The hot syrup partly cooks the whites but should not be relied on to pasteurise them.