“Fill the flowing bowl with cheer, make the welkin ring!” — “Jingle Bells from Capitol Records,” Capitol Studio Orchestra
“. . . and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam.” — A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
“Claret for the curate, burgundy for the vicar, port for the bishop, champagne for the archbishop — the hierarchy of punch.” — Uncle Paxton in The Flower Girls, by Clemence Dane
Does anyone really make and serve punch at home any longer, or is it just confined to wedding receptions and other events in church halls? (One certainly does not see it in hotels.) Perhaps it’s because the necessary equipment is so bulky to store. One must have a proper punch bowl — which doesn’t have to be large; they can hold as little as a gallon — and punch cups, and a good-sized ladle.
Or perhaps punch just acquired a reputation for being too sweet. Etiquetteer grew up with something called Golden Methodist Punch, invariably served at any function in the church hall, which included ginger ale or Sprite, various frozen fruit juices, and lemon sherbet. (Often these are enhanced with an ice ring of frozen punch decorated with maraschino cherries and mint leaves and Heaven knows what else.) Palates of this century require something a bit more sophisticated — or spiked. Etiquetteer once made a punch with nothing but sauterne and lemon sorbet. Most refreshing, but lethal after more than two servings.
The more English tradition is for a hot punch made with some sort of wine, often (and fondly by the cognoscenti) known as Smoking Bishop. Eggnog is more typical in the States; people forget that it is actually a punch, milk punch, and may be served from a punch bowl as well as a pitcher or individually. Etiquetteer loves a good eggnog (in moderation), and you’ll find Etiquetteer’s family recipe here. (Max Miller at Tasting History offers a Boozy Eggnog and another 19th-century recipe — worth your attention.)
If you’re going to serve punch at your holiday party (or home wedding — and why not?), be sure you have all the needed equipment: a punch bowl and a handled tray of silver, glass, or porcelain; punch cups (glass or silver are best, repurposing teacups is not what Etiquetteer would call Perfectly Proper), a ladle, and napkins*. None of these things have to match, thank goodness. If the punch is so good the bowl gets emptied, it should be brought back to the kitchen to be refilled. No one should see the magic happen.
There’s an old stereotype about church socials with two punch bowls at opposite ends of the table. One is spiked and one is plain. If alcohol isn’t part of your regime, for whatever reason, and there’s only one punch bowl, you may certainly ask if the punch is spiked before accepting a glass, and decline it if it is.
Etiquetteer wishes you the punchiest and most Perfectly Proper functions this season.
*Dear Mother, may she rest in peace, would want you to have a napkin in case of drips.