Fish House Punch

Fish House Punch

A classic Philadelphia-style Fish House Punch, a potent colonial-American rum punch first served at the Schuylkill Fishing Company in the 18th century. The 'fish' in the name refers to the club and its members, not an ingredient — the punch itself is built on rum, cognac, peach brandy and bright lemon.

Prep

15 min

Total

15 min

Serves

12 (serves a party, ~90 ml per serving)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) dark Jamaican rum, such as Appleton or Smith & Cross; provides the funky, molasses backbone
• •250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) cognac, VS or VSOP
• •250 ml (1 cup + 1 tbsp) peach brandy, real peach brandy such as DeKuyper Peachtree or, ideally, Leopold Bros
• •350 g (12 oz (about 1¾ cups)) superfine sugar, dissolved in a little warm water to make a 1:1 syrup
• •240 ml (1 cup) fresh lemon juice, strained, from about 8 lemons
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) cold water, or use a large block of ice as the club originally did
• •1 whole large block of ice, traditional; keeps the punch cold without diluting it quickly

Steps

1. 1 Make the oleo-saccharum: in a non-reactive bowl, combine the lemon juice with the superfine sugar and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. If you prefer a clearer punch, dissolve the sugar in 120 ml (1/2 cup) of warm water first, then cool completely before combining with the lemon juice.
2. 2 Add the dark Jamaican rum, cognac and peach brandy to the lemon-sugar mixture and stir well to combine.
3. 3 Add the cold water (or, if using the traditional block-ice method, omit the water and add a 1.5–2 kg / 3–4 lb block of ice to the serving bowl; the club originally froze water in a miller's mould).
4. 4 Taste and adjust: the punch should be strong, sweet-tart and warming. Add more lemon juice for brightness or a splash more rum if it tastes thin.
5. 5 Ladle into small punch glasses or chilled coupe glasses. The historical recipe calls for a 'three-water glass' serving — about 90 ml (3 fl oz) per person, served cold. Do not top up with ice water; the strength of the punch is the point.
6. 6 Garnish each serving with a thin lemon wheel if desired, and serve immediately while still very cold.