Drink recipe for ten people is ideal for Carnival – 02/02/2024 – Food

Start with a base made with lemon peels blended with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice (lighter and more aromatic), star anise, black peppercorns and tea. Then, make the drink your way.

If you prefer to add alcohol, add your favorite spirit — gin, for example, adds a refreshing touch. If you want a non-alcoholic cocktail, just add sparkling water, tonic and, if you want, a few drops of Angostura (bitter with a low amount of alcohol; but it is optional). The objective is to create a drink that suits you and your guests. Important: you must start preparing it the day before serving.

Performance: About 10 glasses
Total time: 1 hour, plus rest overnight

Ingredients

For the base of the festive spiced punch:

• 6 to 8 lemons
• ½ cup (tea) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt or fleur de sel
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons of loose black or green oolong (or other tea or infusion of your choice, such as lemongrass)
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice

For the alcoholic version:

• Ice
• 30 ml of spice base
• 30 ml of spirits such as bourbon, rye, brandy or gin
• 3 to 4 dashes of Angostura (optional)
• 30 ml of sparkling water, chilled
• 60 ml dry sparkling wine, chilled
• Slice of lemon or orange, or a cinnamon stick, or both, for garnish

For the non-alcoholic version:

• Ice
• 30 ml of festive spiced punch base
• 3 to 4 dashes of angostura (optional; see tip)
• 60 ml sparkling water, chilled
• 60 ml dry tonic water, chilled
• Slice of lemon or orange, or a cinnamon stick, or both, for garnish

Method of preparation

1. Prepare the base: Using a peeler, remove the skins from 4 lemons and place them in a medium bowl. Reserve the peeled lemons. Add the sugar and salt to the shells and use a tamper or the end of a rolling pin to work the mixture into the shells until they begin to turn slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat: When the pan is hot, add cloves, allspice berries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and black pepper. Heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t leave it standing for too long and pay attention so that they don’t burn. Add the spices directly to the lemon peel mixture, along with the tea leaves, and knead for another minute, crushing them. Then set aside at room temperature covered for 8 to 24 hours.

3. The next day: add ¼ cup hot water to the citrus mixture, stir gently to dissolve the sugar, and set aside for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the reserved lemons (you should have about ¾ cup of lemon juice; you may need to squeeze 1 or 2 of the extra lemons). Add the fresh lemon and orange juices to the sugar and spice mixture, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing out the solids (you need approximately 1 ¼ cups of liquid). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve the final drink, but do not store for more than two weeks.

4. For the alcoholic drink: Fill a lowball glass with ice and add 30 ml of the festive spiced punch base, 30 ml of your chosen spirit and 3 to 4 dashes of angostura. Stir gently to combine. Add 30 ml of sparkling water and 60 ml of sparkling wine. Finish with a slice of lemon or orange, or a cinnamon stick, or both.

5. For the non-alcoholic drink: Fill a tall glass with ice and add 30 ml of the festive spiced punch base and, if desired, 3 to 4 dashes of angostura. Add 60 ml of sparkling water and 60 ml of dry tonic water. Stir gently to combine and top with a slice of lemon or orange, or a cinnamon stick, or both.