Today I fondly remember the Christmas punch that our friend and great cook Àngels Pallàs taught us to prepare. It is a classic cocktail of Anglo-Saxon inspiration, ideal for breaking the ice and beginning to introduce the festive Christmas spirit to our guests.

I remember that day well: Ángels gave us a master class in a training session at our showroom, We Love Cooking. It was a delicious meal, thought out with great attention to detail, and a cocktail to welcome our guests could not be missing.

I'm sure many of you remember a celebration or gathering where a large cocktail shaker filled with ice and often fruit was displayed, and glasses were served to warm up. That's exactly what I bring you today! A delicious punch to light up the Christmas spirit at home when family and friends arrive. Unlike other classic European punches, which are served hot, this punch is designed to be served cold - so it's refreshing and light and encourages everyone to start nibbling on the starters that can accompany the table.

Christmas punch cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of red berries (you can buy them frozen in bags at the supermarket or frozen food stores)
  • 150 cc maple syrup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod, split in half
  • The skin of half a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon of peppercorns (we will crush the grains by pressing them with the flat blade of a knife)
  • Salt
  • 2 cups of very cold sparkling water (Seltz or soda type)
  • 2 cups of very cold pineapple juice
  • 1 bottle of semi-chilled cava Ice (large cubes)
  • 2 cups red wine (optional)

Preparation:

  1. About three or four hours before the meal, put the berries, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, lemon peel, pepper and salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and let it simmer for about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside in the punch bowl.
  2. Just before serving the cocktail, add the cava (make sure it is chilled!), the pineapple juice, the sparkling water and the ice. Mix with a spoon and that's it! Serve immediately in glasses and enjoy.
  3. If you want to serve it without lumps or fruit, strain it.

Grades:

  • To keep it really cold without watering it down, you can transfer the remaining cocktail to the Romantic Candy jug , which has a special insert in the lid for adding ice cubes - this way it keeps the drink cold but doesn't water it down.
  • If you keep it in a cocktail shaker: the cubes you add should be large, or even better if you make a giant cube so that it does not dilute so easily in the cocktail.
  • About the wine: the original recipe is with wine (the cocktail acquires the darker colour seen in the shaker), but I personally like it better without it: I find it more refreshing and light, but if you want to add it, do so together with the cava and pineapple juice.
  • When serving, you can apply a sugar rim to the glasses or goblets you're serving in. To do this, simply moisten the rim with a slice of lemon, and immediately turn the glass onto a tray with a dusting of sugar or brown sugar. The sugar rim adds a pretty presentation, and a delicious sweet note on the first sip.

In the following video you will see how to apply the sugared rim to your glasses and cups:

Jordi Manero

Comments

Allane Oswald said:

Hola Claudia y Julia!
Me encantó el Blog y esta receta que lleva agua de seltz también. Trabajo en una empresa en Alemania que restaura a los sifones de soda antiguos y los envía a todo el mundo. Como es un producto muy utilizado en la gastronomía, pensé que seria interesante para ustedes. La empresa se llama Die Siphon Manufaktur. Saludos!

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