October 1995
For spice syrup:
-
2
cinnamon sticks
-
5
whole cloves
-
3
tablespoons
finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
-
1/3
cup
water
-
1/3
cup
sugar
-
A chilled 25.4-ounce bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups)
-
A chilled 1-quart bottle cranberry juice cocktail
-
A chilled 1-liter bottle club soda or seltzer water
-
1
cup
dark rum if desired
-
In a small saucepan bring syrup ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Cool syrup. Syrup may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
-
In a punch bowl combine remaining ingredients and strain syrup through a fine sieve into punch. Stir punch and add ice blocks. Makes about 13 cups.
Cooks’ note: Ice blocks for punch can take any form you wish. We rinsed out surgical gloves and filled them with water, tying them closed. After freezing the “water balloons” on a baking sheet, the gloves peeled off easily and we were left with icy hands to chill our witches’ brew.
