General Burnside's Favorite Punch

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 The earliest form of cocktail was punch, which tracks back to mid-17th century England and was nothing like the Kool-Aid plus liquor we think of today.  The one commonality is that it was usually served communally—“the flowing bowl”—but even this wasn’t always the case.

Here we have a punch cocktail from the mid-19th century, called “General Burnside’s Favorite” (yes, that General Burnside, for Civil War buffs).  The recipe originated with famed mixologist Jerry Thomas.

It’s served piping hot, and before building the drink, you should rinse the glass or mug with boiling water.

Then start with the juice from 1/2 lemon. 

Add 2 oz. VSOP brandy, followed by 1 oz. Jamaica rum and 3/4 oz. Orgeat.

Fill with hot water, stir well, and top with grated nutmeg.

The result may have been General Burnside’s favorite, but it’s far from mine.  I managed to drink most of it, but it’s not something I’ll make again anytime soon.

(The original recipe dates from 1863, using archaic measures like “half wine glass,” which were a lot smaller then than now.  It was adapted using modern measures by David Wondrich in Imbibe!)

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