Cointreaupolitan

Perfectly beautiful to look at, a Cointreaupolitan is a variation on the classic Cosmopolitan, taking things up a notch by replacing the usual vodka and Triple Sec with Cointreau. It’s a superb start to a party.

It’s believed that punch originated from an ancient East Indian recipe traditionally consisting of five ingredients, the word punch deriving from the Hindi word “panch”, which means five. The original ingredients used were tea, spices, sugar, water and lemon. The name was adopted by early sailors who loved the concoctions and they spread the punch idea throughout the world’s seaport taverns. The result was a number of colourful punch recipes and some of them are still popular today.

EVEN PARTY PUNCH RECIPES HAVE RULES
• Chill all the ingredients before mixing, including the jug or bowl you are using.
• If you are using a sugar syrup, combine equal parts of sugar to water in a small pot, bring to a boil and continue cooking for a minute until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is clear. Cool completely before using.
• Carbonated drinks such as champagne, sparkling wine or soda water should be poured in last and only when serving, to preserve the fizz. • Use large ice cubes as they last longer; smaller cubes melt quickly and dilute the punch.
• Always cut the fruit into good-sized chunks.
• You can also use ice cubes made from tea, juice and any non-alcoholic ingredient that can be frozen.