Lemon Punch

By: James Chatto

In a letter Dickens wrote in 1847, he gives his own recipe for lemon punch. Dickens suggests setting the liquid on fire and letting it burn for at least 3 or 4 minutes before the flames are extinguished and lemon juice and boiling water added. It seems to me that the same affect can be achieved without the use of open flames. Simmering the rum and brandy in a pan drives off some of the alcohol without reducing the flavour of this heady punch.

3 lemons
½ cup (125 mL) sugar
2 cups (500 mL) gold rum
½ cup (125 mL) brandy
3 to 4 cups (750 mL to 1 L) boiling water

1. Remove and thinly slice the yellow lemon zest, taking care to avoid the bitter white pith. Add to a large saucepan with sugar, rum and brandy. Heat carefully, without allowing to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the juice of the lemons, the boiling water and let cool a little. Serve in heatproof punch glasses or cups.

Serves 8

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Jackpot

Cocktail Size
1 oz Wiser's De Luxe Canadian Whisky or Beefeater Dry Gin
1/2 oz McGuinness Cherry Brandy Liqueur
2 oz fresh orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice
maraschino cherry

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add Wiser's De Luxe Canadian Whisky or Beefeater Dry Gin, fresh orange juice, lemon juice and McGuinness Cherry Brandy Liqueur.

2. Shake and strain into a short Martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Make-ahead Entertaining Size
13 oz (375 mL) Wiser's De Luxe Canadian Whisky
or Beefeater Dry Gin
6 oz (175 mL) McGuinness Cherry Brandy Liqueur
24 oz (3 cups) fresh orange juice
3 oz lemon juice
2 cups ice
maraschino cherries

1. To a covered container, add Wiser's De Luxe Canadian Whisky or Beefeater Dry Gin, fresh orange juice, lemon juice, McGuinness Cherry Brandy Liqueur and ice.

2. Shake and strain into short Martini glasses and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Serves approx. 12 - 4 oz drinks

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Island Sipper

By: The Martini Club

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz. white rum, 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort, 3 oz. orange juice and 2 oz. mango juice. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry.

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