DIY Swedish Punsch Recipe

Updated August 09, 2018

The traditional way to serve Swedish Punsch is to warm it and pair it with a bowl of pea soup. Though that didn't exactly catch on in the States, Swedish Punsch is a key ingredient in many pre-Prohibition cocktails because of its funky, spiced flavor.

Notes: Swedish punch is traditionally made with gold rum and Batavia Arrack, a southeastern Asian liquor made from sugar cane and red rice. Because Batavia Arrack is hard to find, I've substituted cachaça, a Brazilian spirit made with fermented and distilled sugarcane juice. Gold rum doesn't add much flavor, and many traditional recipes omit it, so I skipped it to make the recipe simpler.

DIY vs. Buy: How to Make Swedish Punsch

Recipe Details

DIY Swedish Punsch Recipe

Active 10 mins

Total 0 mins

Serves 12 servings

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 lemon
1 clove
1 cardamom pod, crushed
1 cup cachaça
1 Darjeeling (or similar) tea bag
1/2 cup hot water
2/3 cup sugar

Directions

Cut the lemon into thin slices and remove the seeds. Place entire slices in a sealable glass jar with the clove and crushed cardamom pod and add the cachaça. Seal and shake. Let the infusion sit for one day in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Steep the tea bag in the hot water for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the tea bag, add the sugar to the hot tea, and mix into a syrup. Let cool.
Pour the infused cachaça through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Mix the infusion with the tea syrup. Let the mixture rest overnight. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 months.

Special equipment

Cheesecloth, fine-mesh strainer

This Recipe Appears In

DIY vs. Buy: How to Make Swedish Punsch

Liqueurs & Fortified Wines

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
80	Calories
0g	Fat
12g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg	26%
Calcium 3mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 18mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.