Charles Dickens Hot Gin Punch

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner which can only mean one thing! Paaaaaaaartay!

Of course, when you have two little ones like I do then the paarty aka eating all the food and slumping on the sofa trying not to sleep before midnight usually takes place at home or at a friend’s house. Long gone are the days of queuing hours for drinks at the bar before walking home in the freezing cold as you can’t get a taxi…thank goodness!

If you’re hosting a party this year then I have the most ah-mazing cocktail for you! Courtesy of the cocktail boffins at Portobello Road Gin, this Charles Dickens Hot Gin Punch is the perfect party drink.

A warm punch that heats you up from the inside out, it’s the ideal winter warmer to greet guests with, when they come in from the cold whilst getting them in the party spirit! It’s also ideal for people like my husband, Peter and I who want to celebrate from the sofa. Roch ‘n’ roll!

The punch is inspired by Charles Dickens, who knew a thing or two about drinking – particularly gin and this recipe is adapted from the guidelines given by Mr Micawber in David Copperfield.

It seems only fair to warn you that this drink requires more than a little preparation time, but it’s worth the effort I promise.

Ingredients (Gives around 6 glasses based on a medium sized wine glass)

• Half a bottle of Portobello Road Gin
• Quarter of a bottle of Madeira
• Boiling water
• 100 grams of brown sugar
• 3 lemons
• Teaspoon each of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg

Method:

1. Peel into a saucepan the rinds of three lemons, cut very thin and with as little as possible of the white coating between the peel and the fruit, attached.
2. Add 100g of brown sugar, half a bottle of Portobello Road Gin, quarter of a bottle of Madeira, a teaspoon each of cinnamon and clove and grated nutmeg.
3. Simmer this on a low heat until it’s starting to bubble. Then squeeze in the juice of the three lemons being sure to extract the pips.
4. Stir the whole preparation well, cover it up for five minutes, and stir again. At this point you may taste. If not sweet enough, add sugar to your liking.
5. Sieve through a muslin cloth. This can be done many days in advance and stored in a bottle in the refrigerator, then heated in a saucepan as and when needed.
6. Serve in a heatproof glass or punch cup, being sure to warm the vessel before filling.
7. Dilute with an equal measure of boiling water.

Cheers and a very merry, happy new year to you all!

Don’t forget to drink responsibly of course.