Punch is the crock pot of cocktails – just set it and forget it! Guests arrive and drinks are served, leaving you to enjoy the party. For St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted something festive and easy, which ended up taking a bit of experimentation…
I started with our Christmas Party Punch (a Martha Stewart recipe). I basically stripped the recipe down to make the preparation simpler, and subbed in clear spirits so they wouldn’t interfere with the green color. On my first batch, I used Grand Marnier, but triple sec works much better because it’s clear.
It was getting the punch green that was a challenge. I couldn’t find a bottled green juice, and I don’t really care for Midori. I also didn’t want to go the route of juicing green fruit (honey dew melon?), as this is supposed to be easy! Then I saw the Green Goodness juice by Bolthouse Farms. Most grocery stores have this, or the Green Monster juice by Odwalla. But in experimenting, it wasn’t so much green as it was muddy. In the end I resorted to green food coloring. I know this isn’t the most sophisticated of routes, but it is St. Patrick’s Day after all. You and your guests will be wasted by noon anyway!
So here goes, and I hope you enjoy.
The night before, make the citrus sugar by mixing the following together, storing in the fridge overnight:
- ¾ cup sugar
- zest of one lemon
- zest of one lime
Also, put all of your liquor, juice, and garnish in the fridge the night before so it’s cold. Day-of, mix together:
- ¾ cup citrus sugar
- 2¼ cup lime juice (I used the bottled kind. Whole Foods even has not-from-concentrate and organic)
- 3¾ cup vodka
- 2¼ cup triple sec
- 1½ cup elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
- 4 cups Green Monster / Green Goodness juice (Odwalla and Bolthouse Farms each have a version, check the refridgerated case)
- 30 drops green food coloring
Garnish the punch with lime, green apple, and kiwi wheels. Ladle the punch into glasses over ice, and top with a dry sparkling wine if you like! The punch is a little thick and sweet from the juice smoothie, so guests can add sparkling to their taste.
Cheers!
