The Gentleman's Companion

After running out of St. Cecelia Society Punch on New Year’s Eve, I was forced to throw together another tasty libation for my liquor-loving guests. Fortunately, I had already tried out a single-serving version of Baker’s Bengal Lancers’ Punch, so I was equipped with a perfectly adequate substitute.

Unfortunately, I completely forgot to add the lime garnish called for by the recipe. That’s what happens after you’ve helped finish an entire bowl of rather strong punch, I suppose.

Here’s the recipe for a full batch of Bengal Lancers’ Punch. It’s easy to cut in half, as I did.

• 1 quart (about 1 1/4 bottles) champagne  (Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs)
• 2 pints claret (Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 3 ponies Jamaica or Barbados rum (3 oz Appleton Estate V/X)
• 3 ponies Cointreau or curaçao (3 oz Cointreau)
• 1 pint charged water
• A little sugar to taste (1 scant cup)

Ice all ingredients and garnish with very thin slices of lime.

Baker describes this as “a particularly delicate punch.” It actually tastes quite a bit like sangria, which isn’t a surprising result for this red-wine-plus-fruit combo.

This punch is well worth making, either in its large-batch form or as an individual serving:

• 2 oz champagne
• 2 oz dry red wine
• 1 oz club soda or seltzer
• 1/4 oz orange juice
• 1/4 oz pineapple juice
• 1/4 oz lime juice
• 1 tsp Jamaican rum
• 1 tsp Cointreau
• 1 scant tbsp superfine sugar

Shake with ice and strain into a goblet, then garnish with a thin slice of lime.

Bengal Lancers' Punch:  ★★★★★