If you need a drink to serve at your holiday party, this brandy punch, courtesy of Laura Royer at The Rose Club at The Plaza Hotel, fits the bill. It’s potent but nicely balanced, thanks to lemon juice, simple syrup, black tea, and Cointreau blended with the brandy (in this case, Cognac). Brut Champagne adds festive fizz, and citrus slices make a fragrant garnish.
To make the ice ring, simply fill a Bundt pan or ring mold with citrus slices and water, then freeze. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to help make unmolding easier. Making simple syrup is just as, well, simple, but for a nice nuance of flavor, try using brown sugar in place of white in our Simple Syrup recipe. You can also add a few dashes of Angostura bitters and grated fresh nutmeg to the finished punch for extra holiday flavor.
- Yield: 40 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: 5 min
- Active: 5 min
Ingredients (8)
- 32 ounces lemon juice
- 8 ounces black tea
- 32 ounces simple syrup
- 8 ounces Cointreau
- 32 ounces cognac, like Hennessy VSOP
- 2 bottles brut Champagne
- 1 ice ring
- sliced citrus, such as oranges and grapefruit, for garnish
Instructions
- Add a scoop of ice to a large punch bowl.
- Add the lemon juice, black tea, simple syrup, Cointreau, and cognac. Stir gently.
- Add the ice ring.
- Top with the Champagne.
- Garnish with lemon and orange slices and serve.
