Make This: Southern Sparkling Maple Rye Punch
The wife and I linked up with friends for delicious brunch and booze in Atlanta over the weekend. While millionaire's bacon and challah French toast was on the menu, this punch stole the show.
In my circle of friends, I’ve been known to be a bit of a hater of what my generation and those who followed have done with brunch.
Growing up, brunch was a leisurely experience. Back in my day, one would fall out of bed sometime when the clock went from three to four digits on the dial. Comfortable clothes would be thrown on and the consummation of “midday breakfast” would commence. French toast and Irish coffee would be paired with college football and tall tales of hijinks that took place the night before would be exchanged with the homies. With the tab for a single diner totaling something north of $20 pre-trip, one felt satiated and properly motivated to take on the rest of the weekend.
In recent years, brunch has felt mutated and bastardized. The leisurely experience transformed into throwing on something short of a “Sunday’s best” while Chelsea boots replaced Nike slides and various Jordans. Somehow brunch started later in the day, and a small group of 2-4 turned into a gaggle of 6-8 with the possible need for reservations. Remixed fancified versions of French toast now reigned on the menu while at some locations coffee and caffeine options were nowhere to be found. The best “boozy” beverage was now a Spirit Airlines-esque “bottomless” mimosa that came with a 90-minute time limit. And the pains of splitting the bill were compounded by the fact that you owed roughly the cost of filling up a Ford Taurus in Southern California. After all of that “brunching”, all you want to do is take off those fancy clothes and take a nap.
tl;dr: Brunch should never be hard. Otherwise, you’re defeating the point of brunch. It’s a tardy breakfast for a reason. Stop overcomplicating it.
But I digress, because my girl Nicole W. absolutely hosted a fantastic boozy brunch during our visit to Atlanta this past weekend.
Nicole is absolutely a “go hard” when it comes to culinary experiences. That third graph up above? She’ll probably read it and say, “I don’t see what the problem is.” She and I have had our debates on the topic, but the mutual respect comes from my appreciation for her ability to throw down in the kitchen and her willingness to sample my cocktail creations from time to time.
So when my wife and I made plans to head to Georgia to attend my sister’s wedding, my wife and her BFF coordinated time for a group of us to gather for midday breakfast. I offered to bring a bottle and even make something with what she had on her bar, but she informed me that something was already in the works and she was excited for me to try it.
Her move was a remix of a cocktail punch crafted by the great Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. To stay in the theme of brunch, orange juice was swapped in for lemon juice. Angostura bitters were used instead of orange bitters because…well, that’s the only type of bitters Nicole had. My suggested tweak was to add more spice via the whiskey. A transition from bourbon to rye gives the punch more verve and body.
The result? Southern Sparkling Maple Rye Punch to drink. Millionaire’s bacon, shrimp and grits, and challah French toast to eat. Life updates and more brunch debates to discuss.
Recipe: Southern Sparkling Maple Rye Punch
Serve: In a punch bowl or dispenser
Servings: 6
Garnish: Orange slices and/or cinnamon sticks
Ingredients:
FOR THE SPICED MAPLE SYRUP
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon cardamon pods
1 star anise
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
zest of 1 orange
FOR THE MAPLE RYE PUNCH
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) rye whiskey
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) orange juice
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) spiced maple syrup
champagne, for topping
bitters (optional)
Make:
To make the spiced maple syrup. Bring 1/2 cup water, the maple, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. Let cool, then strain the syrup into a glass jar. This is enough for six drinks, double and triple as necessary.
To make the maple rye punch, you’ll have two options
Option one, the pro method: Take two tablespoons of maple syrup, rye whiskey, orange juice, and orange bitters and add into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Top off with champagne. Garnish with an orange slice and cinnamon stick, if desired. (This is Tieghan’s method, ideal if you have the time to serve.)
Option two, the easy method: Take all ingredients and pour into your punch bowl or dispenser. Pour one serving into a glass with ice. Top off with champagne. Garnish with an orange slice and star anise, if desired. (This is how we enjoyed it and it was amazing.)
The reason this drink is delicious is that it’s potent, spicy, sweet and immediately identifies as a fall treat. The aromatics are pleasant. It finishes smoothly. It’s palatable for all parties. This drink makes too much sense.
Thank you Nicole for being a tremendous host. You rock.
I will definitely be making this within the next few weeks! 🥃
Gonna share this with the fam for the holidays, prolly make a couple alterations though depending on supply 👌🏾