Summer weather has arrived with a vengeance. I’m trying to find a new drink to help us cool off. I have some new cookbooks with drink recipes, and I thought I’d try a few out and share them with you. I’m getting the ones I’m trying this week from the 1942 edition of The New American Cook Book. Let’s hope one of them is the refreshing thirst quencher I’m looking for.
Presidential Punch
Usually this time of year our house is filled with kids and their friends, and I’m always looking for a punch recipe that serves a crowd. There are nine of us in my family, so we still are a small crowd by ourselves. This punch recipes serves 20. I don’t think it would be difficult to cut it in half if you want to try it without the crowd.
- mint sprigs
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 pint strong lemonade
- 1 bottle grape carbonated beverage
- 1 bottle orange carbonated beverage
- 1 bottle ginger ale
- 1 pint plain or charged water
Select long stemmed sprays of mint and pinch the stems between the fingers until the sprigs give the most flavor. Put these into a deep pitcher half filled with ice or arranged in a punch bowl with ice upon them. Over these, sprinkle sugar and let set for half an hour. Pour in the lemonade, water, grape carbonated beverage, orange carbonated beverage, and ginger ale.
Results
This punch was just ok. It tasted like watered down grape soda, or perhaps grape Kool-Aid. I think that the mixture can be played with a little to make it taste the way you like it. The combination of ingredients made this taste a bit muddy. I don’t think we’ll try it again. I’m also not sure why this was called Presidential Punch. I found several different drinks with the same or similar names, but they weren’t the same as this drink.
Perhaps tomorrow’s recipe will be more successful. Happy Memorial Day to my American readers.
I’ll add the rest of the series here as I go:
History in the Kitchen 
4 thoughts