Orgeat Punch a Classic 19th Century Brandy Punch

Orgeat Punch

I was flipping through Jerry Thomas’ Bon Vivant’s Companion looking for another recipe when I came across this recipe for Orgeat Punch. I thought I’d share it here. Sweet almond syrup, brandy, and a port wine float.

One of the main ingredients here, of course, is orgeat. Orgeat is a sweet, nutty syrup flavoured with a touch of orange blossom water. Orgeat has been used in cocktails for a very long time, as evidenced by the fact that I found this recipe in a recipe book from the 1800s. It really found its home, however, in tropical and tiki drinks.

What makes this recipe interesting is that it is a very classic punch recipe from the late 19th century. As such, it bears little resemblance to the extravagant of the world of Tiki drinks. It’s a mix of brandy, orgeat and lemon juice and orgeat syrup topped with a port wine float.

Punch is a very early form of cocktail. If you look at the recipe you’ll see that it bears some resemblance to a sour cocktail recipe. The similarity in ingredients and structure makes it easy to assume that punch might be a precursor to the sour and its various offspring.

Cocktail historian David Wondrich call the sour and its many variations “the children of punch”. So, I suppose punch is another one of those recipes you could consider a mother recipe.

Orgeat Syrup Recipe

Orgeat syrup can be difficult to find commercially. There are several commercially available versions out there, but if you’re having trouble finding it we have a recipe here. Also, lets face it, if you really want to know how something works making it yourself is a great place to start.

Orgeat Punch

  • 1 1/2 oz brandy
  • 3/4 oz orgeat syrup
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • port wine float
  • fresh seasonal berries for garnish
  1. Fill a julep glass or a Collins glass with crushed ice.
  2. Combine brandy, lemon juice and orgeat in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  3. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
  4. Strain into prepared glass.
  5. Float port wine on top of cocktail.
  6. Garnish with fresh berries.

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