Fizzy Strawberry Pisco Punch Recipe

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman is a longtime food and drink expert whose recipes and cocktail-making tips can be found on her newsletters What to Drink and The Dinner Plan. She is the author of  The One-Bottle Cocktail and Batch Cocktails, both published by Ten Speed Press.
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Updated August 29, 2018
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Vicky Wasik

This punch, from Zac Overman of Sitka & Spruce in Seattle, is mouthwateringly tart and slightly fizzy, juicy and a little herbal, thanks to fresh strawberries, thyme, and Bonal, a flavorful French aperitif that's bittered with cinchona and gentian. It's easy to batch up the punch mix in advance, then combine it with Cava, Crémant, or another dry sparkling wine in each serving glass.

Recipe Details

Fizzy Strawberry Pisco Punch Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 8 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • For the Strawberry-Thyme Syrup:
  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 1 cup (195g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup quartered strawberries (about 5 to 6 small berries; 65g)
  • 7 sprigs fresh thyme
  • For the Punch Mix:
  • 4 ounces (120ml) Strawberry-Thyme Syrup
  • 6 ounces (180ml) pisco (such as Barsol)
  • 6 ounces (180ml) Bonal
  • 6 ounces (180ml) fresh juice from 4 lemons
  • To Serve:
  • 1 (750ml) bottle dry sparkling wine, chilled

Directions

  1. For the Strawberry-Thyme Syrup: Add water, sugar, strawberries, and thyme to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids. Let cool before using. Syrup can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

  2. For the Punch Mix: Combine Strawberry-Thyme Syrup, pisco, Bonal, and lemon in a small lidded pitcher or quart-size Mason jar. (You will have 22 ounces of the punch mix.) Stir to combine. At this point, mix can be used immediately or covered and refrigerated up to 10 hours. Extra Strawberry-Thyme Syrup can be served with seltzer for a nonalcoholic drink.

  3. To Serve: Fill each Collins glass with ice. Add 3 ounces sparkling wine and 2 3/4 ounces punch mix to each glass and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Special equipment

Small lidded pitcher or quart-size Mason jar, fine-mesh strainer, Collins glasses for serving

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