Beer Punch

Foamy, creamy hot beer punch with cinnamon and rum

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1896

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There aren’t a lot of beer cocktails today, and this punch is weird to a modern palate, but I liked it. The recipe comes to us from a book by the Only William written in 1896. The eggs give it a wonderful creaminess (not egginess) and a thick layer of foam. The main flavor comes from the beer, so it’s best to use something darker like a porter or stout (chocolate stout would be great). Steer clear of lighter beers like pilsners or very hoppy IPAs. The other main flavor is the cinnamon, and I think you could add even more cinnamon and/or other spices. Nutmeg, cardamom, and clove would all be fantastic.

“Boil one quart of beer with one-fourth of a pound of lump-sugar and a stick of cinnamon; beat four eggs into foam, and mix it with a wineglassful of old Jamaican rum; take the beer from the fire and add it to the mixture while continually stirring it; serve in punch glasses.”

— Fancy Drinks and Popular Beverages by the Only William, 1896

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Ingredients:

• 1 quart (1 L) beer, I used a porter
• A heaping 1/2 cup (115 g) sugar, preferably raw sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 eggs
• 2 ounces (60 ml) dark rum*

*You can find a nice dark rum and other liquors used on the channel in my curated collection at Curiada.

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, mix the beer and sugar. The sugar doesn’t need to fully dissolve yet. Add the cinnamon stick. Bring the beer to a simmer.
2. Whisk the eggs until they’re light and foamy (this will take at least a few minutes). When the eggs have whipped up, beat in the rum.
3. Break out a punch bowl if you’re feeling fancy and transfer the egg and rum mixture into it. Very slowly add the hot beer to the eggs, stirring constantly so the eggs don’t scramble.
4. Serve it forth in punch glasses, as the Only William instructs.

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