An Authoritative, historically informed tribute to the punch bowl, by the James Beard Award-winning author of Imbibe!.

Replete with historical anecdotes, expert observations, notes on technique and ingredients, and of course world-class recipes, Punch will take readers on a celebratory journey into the punch bowl that starts with some very lonely British sailors and swells to include a cast of lords and ladies, admirals, kings, presidents, poets, pirates, novelists, spies, and other colorful characters.

It is a tale only David Wondrich can tell-and it is sure to delight, amuse, and inspire the mixologist and party-planner in everyone.

""Wildly entertaining and fantastically instructive...""
-Bookforum

""Most punches have fascinating back stories - at least they do when Wondrich is in charge.""
-The New York Times Book Review

""Mr. Wondrich's noble effort to restore Punch's good name offers sound advice on the basics of Punch-making along with a variety of vintage recipes.""
-The Wall Street Journal

""A lively, fascinating history of punch[...]. Wondrich is a tremendously witty writer.""
-The New Yorker

""Wondrich peels punch's image off the sticky fraternity house floor and reinstates it into the more dignified annals of drinking tradition.""
-The Boston Globe

""It's fair to say there's nobody in the country who knows more about drinking than David Wondrich.""
-New York Magazine

""Punch stays true to the antique, but by no means staid, spirit of its old timey, black-and-white-etching-illustrated subject matter, while somehow managing to keep current, relevant, and fresh. [...] A rollickingly fun read.""
-TheKitchn.com

""[Wondrich's] interest in history runs as deep as his thirst for beverage experiences on the banks of the mainstream[...].""
-The New York Times

""Punch lovers are in luck[...]. These aren't the fruity, simplistic punches of recent times. They're complex, subtle concoctions....""
-The Oregonian

""The best part of the book isn't the history-it's the 40-plus detailed recipes of how to make your very own authentic Punch.""
-The New York Post