An Authoritative, historically informed tribute to the punch bowl, by the James Beard Award-winning author of Imbibe!.
Replete with historical anecdotes, expert observations, notes on technique and ingredients, and of course world-class recipes, Punch will take readers on a celebratory journey into the punch bowl that starts with some very lonely British sailors and swells to include a cast of lords and ladies, admirals, kings, presidents, poets, pirates, novelists, spies, and other colorful characters.
It is a tale only David Wondrich can tell-and it is sure to delight, amuse, and inspire the mixologist and party-planner in everyone.
"Wildly entertaining and fantastically instructive..."
-Bookforum
"Most punches have fascinating back stories - at least they do when Wondrich is in charge."
-The New York Times Book Review
"Mr. Wondrich´s noble effort to restore Punch´s good name offers sound advice on the basics of Punch-making along with a variety of vintage recipes."
-The Wall Street Journal
"A lively, fascinating history of punch[...]. Wondrich is a tremendously witty writer."
-The New Yorker
"Wondrich peels punch´s image off the sticky fraternity house floor and reinstates it into the more dignified annals of drinking tradition."
-The Boston Globe
"It´s fair to say there´s nobody in the country who knows more about drinking than David Wondrich."
-New York Magazine
"Punch stays true to the antique, but by no means staid, spirit of its old timey, black-and-white-etching-illustrated subject matter, while somehow managing to keep current, relevant, and fresh. [...] A rollickingly fun read."
-TheKitchn.com
"[Wondrich´s] interest in history runs as deep as his thirst for beverage experiences on the banks of the mainstream[...]."
-The New York Times
"Punch lovers are in luck[...]. These aren´t the fruity, simplistic punches of recent times. They´re complex, subtle concoctions...."
-The Oregonian
"The best part of the book isn´t the history-it´s the 40-plus detailed recipes of how to make your very own authentic Punch."
-The New York Post