Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

Boat House Punch

By
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray is a Dallas freelance writer specializing in food, drinks and travel. He’s been covering spirits and cocktails since 2009.
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Updated 09/22/20
red-orange-colored Boat House Punch served in a cylindrical pitcher garnished with orange wheels and a small punch glass garnished with a half orange wheel

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

The citrusy, bubbly Boat House Punch is an original recipe from Julie Reiner, best known for her seminal New York bars Clover Club and The Flatiron Lounge. The large-format drink appears in her book, “The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion,” and it’s primed to serve a crowd.

The punch begins with a lemon oleo saccharum, which sounds a lot more intimidating to make than it is. Essentially, you’re just muddling lemon peels with sugar and letting the combination sit. As the two ingredients mingle, the citrus oils leach into the sugar and you’re left with a rich, delicious syrup.

From there, Reiner employs dry gin, Aperol, St-Germain and a bevy of fresh juices—lemon, orange and grapefruit. Sparkling rosé is added at the end to provide an effervescent kick before serving.

The photogenic Boat House Punch is many steps above the overly-sweet, headache-inducing typical party punch. It’s crafty, festive and flavorful, melding the dry, bracing nature of gin with the bittersweet notes of Aperol, floral St-Germain and fresh fruit. Make a large batch for your next gathering, and you’ll ensure that everyone has a good time.

Ingredients

  • 4 lemons, peeled

  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar

  • 1 liter dry gin

  • 750 mL Aperol

  • 12 ounces St-Germain

  • 12 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

  • 12 ounces lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 12 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed

  • 750 mL sparkling rosé

  • Garnish: orange wheels

Steps

  1. Muddle the lemon peels (save lemons for juicing) with the sugar in a bowl until the sugar looks slightly moistened.

  2. Cover and let sit for at least one hour, or overnight, so the sugar can absorb the lemon oils.

  3. Add the gin, Aperol, St-Germain, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and orange juice to a large pitcher or punch bowl. Add the lemon-sugar mixture, and let sit for 15 minutes.

  4. Remove the lemon peels, drop in a large ice block, and add the sparkling rosé.

  5. Garnish the pitcher and individual punch cups with orange wheels.