Bombay Government Punch Recipe
The precise proportions for this recipe are taken from the 1694 regulations the English government put out for Bombay punch houses, which mandated “if any man comes into a victualling house to drink punch, he may demand one quart good Goa arak, half a pound of sugar, and half a pint of good lime water, and make his own punch.” Now, Goa arrack was made from coconut-palm sap, but sugar-cane arrack and then rum were natural substitutes. The further substitution of cognac for part of the rum or arrack was common as early as the 1680s, and indeed soon became the preferred way of making it. The addition of a goodly amount of water or tea is also both traditional and extremely sensible.
What to buy: If you can’t get the arrack, substitute 1 1/2 quarts rum or 1 (750-milliliter) bottle of rum and 1 (750-milliliter) bottle of VSOP-grade cognac.
Game plan: For a more stimulating concoction, use cold black or green tea (use 2 tablespoons loose tea or 6 tea bags) in place of the final 6 cups of water.
This recipe was featured as part of both our story on The Return of Punch and our Punch Recipes photo gallery.
- 2 cups Demerara or turbinado sugar
- 7 cups water
- 12 limes
- 16 ounces Batavia arrack
- 1 quart dark, funky rum
- Grated nutmeg, for garnish
- To prepare, first stir 2 cups of Demerara or turbinado sugar in 1 cup water over a low flame until the sugar has dissolved (about 5 minutes). Let this cool.
- Then squeeze 12 limes and combine the juice in a large bowl with the sugar syrup and stir. Add 16 ounces Batavia arrack and 1 quart dark, funky rum and top off with 1.5 liters/48 ounces water. Stir again and refrigerate.
- Half an hour before serving, add a large block of ice (this can be made by freezing 2 quarts of water in a bowl overnight) and grate nutmeg over the top.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.