What a difference an “s” makes.

Having taken off time during the last few weeks from making punch I made it up for it last week with two different punch dinners, one of which I am writing about today. 

I want to make some of the ‘classic’ punches over the next few months, but that poses two problems for me.  First, so many of the old recipes contain almost nothing but alcohol – and I’m not much of a consumer of spirits.  After one cup of most of these mixtures I would put a new meaning to being “punch-drunk”.

Secondly, Andy would probably prefer we not declare bankruptcy during my punch journey and most of the liqueurs are very expensive and a little exotic.  The one benefit of this though is my new found relationships with the salespeople at Lucas Liquor.  So I guess there is good to be found in almost any situation!

What am I to do!  Well, I found a recipe that is a classic and very old (1862) that contains only two different types of alcohol.  I was somewhat excited but hesitant because of the name: Sauterne Cup.  To me sauterne is a sweet almost syrupy wine. The second “spirit” is maraschino liqueur – ick.  I was thinking I could just buy some cherry cough syrup add some sparkling water and be done with it.

But I decided to go ahead and make it so off I went to Lukas Liquors.  As I read the recipe again I noticed that the punch Sauterne Cup called for sauternes wine (notice the “s” at the end of the wine).

That “s” makes all the difference!

Sauterne is a really sweet, American semi-generic wine named after, but purposely misspelled, French sauternes.  French sauternes are a sweet wine, but with a nice acidic taste also – there sweetness is due to noble rot – the only rot good for wine!  Noble rot causes the grapes to partially “raisinize” giving them their distinctive flavor.  It is a little pricey for a punch (@$35-$40) for a 750-ml bottle, but, perfect for two, you can also get 375-ml bottles.

Maraschino liqueur is also really different than I thought (and also very pricey).  It is made, mainly, from Italian cherries and their pits.  It is a clear liquid, with a bittersweet taste with a hint of almonds.

The punch was delightful – the description of the recipe said it was perfect for a spring or summer evening.  Indeed it was!  We veered from the traditional red meat, red wine rule.  We paired our Sauterne Cup with grilled rib eye steaks, baked sweet potatoes, green salad and corn meal muffins.   The whole dinner, start to finish was great.

I would recommend this as a fresh change of pace from a glass of wine with dinner; the lightness also was a perfect accompaniment to an outdoor dinner.

Sauterne Cup - from Jerry Thomas’ Bartender Guide: How to Mix Drinks (1862)

• 1 750ml bottle Sauternes
• ½ cup simple syrup
• ½ cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1 Tablespoon Maraschino liqueur (you can substitute cherry wine, sherry schnapps if desired)
• 1 Quart Seltzer Water
• Fresh Mint sprigs or lemon slices for garnish

1. In a large pitcher combine the Sauternes, simple syrup, lemon juice and Maraschino liqueur.
2. Slowly add the seltzer, stirring gently.  Add ice to cups, garnish with lemon or mint, pour and enjoy!

Andy and I really enjoyed it – him surprisingly so because he is not a fan of sweet beverages.  Hope you like it as well!