Napa Valley Winter Punch – Friday’s Featured Cocktail

(photo by: Gabriella Imperatori-Penn)

Winter is in full swing here at home and we have tons of snow on the ground. With the Olympic Games on the tube everyday, and skiing, skating and snowboarding a huge part of our daily life right now, I have been thinking about cocktails for apres snow! Here is one I found on epicurious and it just feels perfect for warming up the body and soul after a day in the cold.

Napa Valley Winter Punch Bon Appétit | September 2007 – full article on epicurious by Scott Beattie

Ingredients – yield: Makes 8 servings

• 1 1/2 3- to 4-inch-long cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole nutmegs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole allspice berries
• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 cups Simple Syrup
• 2 1/4 cups Charbay Rum or 10 Cane Rum
• 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon Fee Brothers Peach Bitters or other bitters
• 1 block of ice
• Lemon and orange slices

Preparation

• Place cinnamon and nutmeg in resealable plastic bag; crack into pieces using mallet or rolling pin. Transfer to spice grinder. Add allspice; blend to coarse powder. Transfer 1 tablespoon to shallow dish; mix in 1/3 cup sugar. Set spiced sugar aside.
• Stir remaining spice powder in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Repeat heating and cooling process 3 more times until spices are very fragrant but not burned. Add syrup; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Strain through sieve into bowl. Cool.
• Mix 3/4 cup spice syrup, rum, lemon juice, orange juice, and bitters in punch bowl. Add ice and citrus slices. Rub 1 orange slice around rim of 8 glasses to moisten; dip glasses into spiced sugar. Place glasses around punch bowl.

For great information on rum, the rum revival and the best ones to buy and try read epicurious’ article “Born To Rum“>