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What is Champagne Punch?
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Champagne punch is a mixed drink made with champagne, fruit juice, and an assortment of other ingredients. There are numerous recipes for champagne punch which can include a wide range of exotic ingredients. This mixed drink can be served at formal breakfasts, weddings, and other parties. For people who prefer to abstain from alcohol, nonalcoholic versions are very easy to make, and they usually include carbonated beverages for the fizzy sparkle associated with champagne.
Punch appears to have been borrowed from India, and it was a popular drink in England and some other parts of Europe by the 1600s. The word “punch” comes from the Hindi panch, or “five,” a reference to the five traditional ingredients in punch. Indian punches included lemons, sugar, water, tea or spices, and arrack, a distilled alcohol made from sugar cane or palm sugar. Arrack is quite strong, and the resulting punch would have had a serious kick which made it popular with British sailors.
The ingredients used in champagne punch vary widely, depending on who is assembling it. Fruit juices such as orange and pineapple are common, along with ice cubes to keep the drink cool. Some people also like to add small pieces of fruit or herbs like mint to their champagne punch, and more enterprising cooks float scoops of sherbet or sorbet on their punch. Hard alcohol such as brandy or rum is a common ingredient as well. You can find a wide assortment of champagne punch recipes with the assistance of your favorite search engine.
When you find a punch a punch recipe, add the ingredients precisely as listed. Many recipes call for marinated fruit which should soak overnight, so research your recipes ahead of time to make sure that you allow enough time to create your champagne punch. Always add the champagne last, ideally right before the punch is served so that it will retain its fizziness. You can also use sparkling pink or white wine in champagne punch for a slightly different flavor.
Champagne punch should always be served in a punch bowl, a specially designed large-mouthed bowl. Guests can easily retrieve punch and inclusions like fresh fruit from a punch bowl with the assistance of a punch ladle, and punch bowls are also traditional and often stylish as well. Remember that the alcohol content of champagne punch can be deceptive, and it may be easy for guests to over-consume since the fruit juice and light champagne will balance out the heavier alcohols.
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
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![Cognac or another brandy is often used in champagne punch.]()
By: romaneauCognac or another brandy is often used in champagne punch. -
![Ice cubes are often used when creating champagne punch.]()
By: volffIce cubes are often used when creating champagne punch. -
![Scoops of sherbet add a whimsical touch to champagne punch.]()
By: m.u.ozmenScoops of sherbet add a whimsical touch to champagne punch. -
![Mint is often used as an ingredient in champagne punch.]()
By: margo555Mint is often used as an ingredient in champagne punch. -
![As a rule of thumb, the champagne is added to the punch just before serving.]()
By: Igor NormannAs a rule of thumb, the champagne is added to the punch just before serving.
Discussion Comments
@Pippinwhite -- I think every college campus has its version of that stuff. I think it depends on what flavors are popular at that time. But it's definitely nothing to mess around with, for sure.
I helped with a friend's wedding and it featured champagne punch. We had to keep the champagne fresh in the punch so it wouldn't go flat. It was a big wedding, and eventually, the champagne ran out, so we use sparkling catawba grape juice. I don't think any of the guests noticed the difference. They were still pouring punch down their throats.
The other thing to remember is that, if you marinate the fruit in liqueur, it also will contribute to the alcohol content, and frequently packs more power than the actual punch. It soaks up the alcohol.
I remember in college, the local party girls used to mix up this stuff they called "hunch punch." It had fruit juice, fruit, champagne and pure grain alcohol and white rum in it. Needless to say, a cup of it would probably put most people over the legal limit to drive. It was potent stuff and I only tried it once. That was enough for me.
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