Ginger Ale Punch Recipe

How to tell a buck from a fizz

Cocktail nerds like me love taxonomy. We’re forever discussing issues of classification and categorization. What’s the difference between a sling and a toddy? How exactly does one define a punch? Is a daisy related to a cobbler?

It’s all a little obsessive, because when it comes to classic cocktails, the differences often boil down to relatively minor tweaks: lime juice in lieu of lemon juice; mixing in the glass versus shaking and straining; an orange twist instead of an orange wheel.

These differences can be almost imperceptible, and mostly irrelevant, to regular folks. Even now, years into the supposed cocktail renaissance, many still call anything served straight up in a V-shaped cocktail glass a “martini.”

Cocktail people dissect the classic concoctions because they are the basis of nearly all of the great, often wildly experimental drinks you find on contemporary cocktail menus. Learn the classics, and you’ll soon be able to invent your own interesting, well-made drinks simply by substituting a little of this for a little of that.

Perhaps the most confusing family of cocktails is the group of classic long drinks enjoyed when the weather gets hot: the highball, the Collins, the fizz, the rickey and the buck. The drinks seem almost interchangeable; they’re all various combinations of spirits and soda mixers, served over ice in a Collins or highball glass. But when you look closely, the way a cocktail nerd would, you’ll start to see that small variations make for big differences in taste.

A highball is a spirit (usually whiskey) that’s served with a carbonated beverage (club soda or ginger ale) over ice. It takes its name from the glass. “If citrus juices are used, the drink becomes a Buck or a Collins or a Rickey and is no longer a Highball,” writes the foremost cocktail taxonomist, David A. Embury, in his 1948 guide “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.”

Moving on from the highball, a Collins and a fizz involve basically the same set of ingredients — spirit, lemon juice, sugar and soda water — either mixed all together in an ice-filled Collins glass (for the Collins) or shaken and then strained into an ice-filled glass and topped with the fizzy water (for the fizz). A rickey is basically a Collins that calls for a lime instead of a lemon.

And then there is the buck, perhaps the least-known member of the long-drink family. A buck, very simply, is a Collins that calls for ginger ale and no sugar. Or you could also say it’s a ginger-ale highball plus lemon juice.

Wedding Reception Punch Recipes

You have to choose alcoholic or nonalcoholic, but hot or cold nonalcoholic beverages have been always the cheapest.

If at all possible you should plan on to offer both.

Serve punches in a crystal bowl for an elegant touch and to save on the consumption of the alcoholic beverages serve a few while the guests mingle and then when it is time to toast the bride serve the champagne.

Serve the cake itself with coffee; while the guests are being served the bar can be discreetly dismantled.

Below are several very good wedding reception punch recipes.

For your consideration we are including one of our favorite recipes for a nonalcoholic punch that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages.

The night before the event freeze the can of pineapple.

The tea can be made in advance by steeping the leaves in the two cups of boiling water.

Store tea in a gallon jug until needed.

Wash and juice the lemons but do not discard the rinds.

Now combine sugar, water lemon juice and rinds in boiler over medium heat.

Strain the mixture and add to tea mixing in the extracts only after the mixture is cool.

Keep chilled until time to serve.

When it is time to serve the punch, pour tea into a bowl and add the frozen pineapple chunk and ginger ale.

This recipe makes about 30 servings.

The eggnog punch works well for people who drink and for those who don�t.

The following recipe is always a great crowd pleaser.

The punch is designed to be served so that all can enjoy it.

Serve eggnog in a bowl with a ladle but have a bottle of rum nearby for those who like a bit to kick in their libation.

Ingredients:

Mix eggs, condensed milk, whole milk, salt and vanilla.

Pour mixture into a container for storage. Refrigerate.

When preparing to serve pour into bowl, fold in whipped cream and dust the top with nutmeg.

A jigger of brandy or rum, for those who want a little something stronger, will make this wedding reception punch recipe a big hit.

Planning a Wedding to Remember, Special Touches and Unique Ideas

Party Punches, Punch Recipes From Around The World

Cooking for crowds for dummies

The Best American Recipes 2003-2004, The Year's Top Picks from Books, Magazines, Newspapers, and the Internet

The helping hand cook book, with a menu for every day in the year, together with numerous recipes