Author Notes
When this contest was announced all I could think of was the punch my mom always made for her bridge club back in the 50s and 60s...a quart of whiskey, a bottle of wine, some dry gingerale, sugar and lots of lemon juice. I liked the idea of ginger and lemon but wanted to make a lighter one - and one with vodka since I'm really not much of a brown likker drinker. I started with my ginger syrup recipe from A Tribute to Woody and went from there.. —inpatskitchen
Test Kitchen Notes
Like cream soda for grownups, this gingery vanilla lemon punch will fill your guests (and perhaps more importantly, you) with cheer. You can even share some with the kids -- just use the leftover syrup for an aromatic ginger ale by mixing with seltzer. The lemony ice cubes are delightful and will solidify your reputation as the best host around. One warning -- the vodka does a great job of slipping into the punch unnoticed, so watch yourselves. - A&M —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Make the ice cubes the day before
-
2 cups
water
-
2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
- For the ginger lemon syrup and putting it together
-
1 cup
peeled thinly sliced fresh ginger
-
1 cup
granulated sugar
-
1/2 cup
packed light brown sugar
-
3 cups
water
-
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
-
12 ounces
of your favorite vodka or lemon infused vodka, chilled
-
1 liter
chilled sparkling seltzer
-
The ice cubes
-
Thinly sliced lemons for garnish
Directions
- Make the ice cubes the day before
-
Combine the lemon juice and water and freeze overnight in an ice cube tray.
- For the ginger lemon syrup and putting it together
-
Combine the ginger, granulated sugar, brown sugar and water in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil and then simmer until reduced to 2 cups. This should take 20 to 25 minutes or so. Strain , add the vanilla and cool. Once cooled, stir in the lemon juice and chill.
-
In a punch bowl (or similar vessel), combine the syrup, seltzer and vodka. Add the ice cubes and garnish with a few lemon slices.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
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