Holidays by the Ladle

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jenn harveyWhether you’re a party-goer or a party-thrower this holiday season, you’ll want a crowd-pleasing cocktail to add to the seasonal cheer. To that end, bar manager Jenn Harvey of Temple Bar offers up the punch as the secret to a stress-free gathering. A trained pastry chef who’s worked the bar at spots like Grafton Street and 33 Restaurant and Lounge, Harvey considers cocktails “a party conversation piece, a little more interesting than a normal beer or wine,” and expounds on the benefits of the punch bowl for the months ahead.

Beverages are a big part of the party-planning equation and Harvey recommends cocktails to get conversation flowing. “Spirits tend to loosen people up, get them a little more in the holiday spirit,” she says. “They get people chatting and connecting with people they would have been too shy to talk to.” Punches are communal by nature and contribute to the social vibe. “There’s something about people converging around a punch bowl, sort of like a water cooler in an office. They go to get another drink and they wind up talking to somebody else. It’s a nice meeting point within a holiday party set-up.” Punches free up the bartender to mingle, as well, and take the day-of responsibility off of the drink-maker. “I don’t want to spend an entire party making drinks,” Harvey says, and suggests prepping the cocktails the day before to let the flavors meld in the refrigerator.

basiliskPunches can be made to please all palates and any occasion, with any combination of fruit, juice, spices and liquor. “One of the ideas behind them,” Harvey explains, “is that it doesn’t have to be an overwhelmingly strong drink so you can keep going back to it, almost like a sessionable cocktail.” As a base, she recommends lighter-style whiskey, bourbon or wine—on top of which you can get festive with citrus fruits and holiday spices. Try your hand at her light and fruity Pisco punch recipe below. Or, if you need a little more guidance, Harvey will be offering more cocktails (like the Basilisk sparkler) at her Cocktails & Confections class on Saturday, December 5th, so you can add to your punch expertise. “There’s something nostalgic about them,” Harvey says. “People surrounding the punch bowl on the piano, singing Christmas carols—it’s one of those classic ideas which you don’t see happen enough.”

Pisco Punch Recipe
INGREDIENTS
24 ounces Pisco
8 ounces fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
8 ounces water
One 8 1/2-fluid-ounce bottle pineapple gum syrup (see Notes)
2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
Ice, preferably 1 large block
Thin pineapple slices, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
In a punch bowl, combine the pisco, lemon juice, water, gum syrup and pineapple chunks and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Add ice. Serve the punch in chilled coupes and garnish with the pineapple slices.

NOTES
Pineapple gum syrup, thickened pineapple-flavored simple syrup, is available at Small Hand Foods or at The Boston Shaker.

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