Richard Godwin’s Platinum Punch

It’s practical, as well as convivial, and can be made as punchy as you like

The ‘flowing bowl’ would have been the centrepiece of any 18th-century royal gathering and, 300 years on, we haven’t really come up with anything better for a 21st-century street party. It’s practical, as well as convivial, and can be made as punchy as you like. The punch below requires a little preparation the day before, but should be assembled on the day. You can easily increase or decrease the amounts to suit a party of any number. If you have a hard time finding Dubonnet, an Italian-style red vermouth such as Martini Rosso will make a decent substitute. You can top it up with Prosecco or Champagne if you’re in a really celebratory mood.

Ingredients Serves 10

Three lemons Three cinnamon sticks 75g golden caster sugar About 50ml water 400ml cold Earl Grey tea 250ml gin 250ml Dubonnet 250ml grapefruit juice Lemon, grapefruit, mint and berries to garnish Ice

Method

First of all, make plenty of ice. (The thoughtful host does this 24 hours before any party; bagged supermarket ice is vastly inferior.) Bear in mind that the larger the lumps, the slower they will melt and the better they will cool the punch, so freezing water in round bowls or plastic containers is a good solution.

Now make the sherbert. Peel the zest from all of the lemons using a vegetable peeler, being sure to extract as little of the white pith as possible. Place the strips in a saucepan with the sugar and ‘muddle’ by pressing down with a wooden spoon or similar. The idea is to combine the bitter juices from the peel with the sugar. Add about 50ml of water 186 | Country Life | May 25, 2022 and the cinnamon sticks and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool with the lid on and the cinnamon will infuse into the syrup. Strain when ready to use. Also in advance: make a strong pot of Earl Grey tea, ideally with proper tea leaves, and allow it to cool. You can make the tea the usual way, with boiling water (although do be sure to take out the leaves after a couple of minutes to avoid stewing). But a cold brew is better. Simply leave the tea to infuse in cold water overnight or for about 12 hours.

The punch should be assembled on the day. Combine the cinnamonlemon sherbert, gin, Dubonnet, cold tea, grapefruit juice and the juice of one of the lemons in an attractive bowl and stir. Taste for balance. You may add more lemon juice, but bear in mind that the punch should be well rounded, rather than tart. You may also feel inclined to add cold water (for dilution) or more gin (for strength), depending on the sort of party you’re envisaging. Just before serving, add copious ice, stir until cool and decorate with a fetching combination of lemon and grapefruit slices, fresh mint and/or berries. Ladle the mixture into tea cups to serve.

Richard Godwin’s ‘The Spirits’ is out now (Square Peg, £16.99)