Caloric punsch advertistement circa 1885

Punsch (or ''punssi'' in

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

) refers to a specific type of alcoholic

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

and

punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

popular in Sweden and Finland. It is most frequently described as ''Swedish Punsch'', and while historical variations have also been called , , and , punsch should not be confused with the term "punch" as used generically. It is made by the mixing of spirits (

arrack Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin. It ...

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...

) with arrak tea (lemon & spices), sugar, and water, and was first brought to Sweden from

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

in 1733. The spirit

is the base ingredient in most punsches, also imported into Europe by the Dutch from their colony in

Batavia, Dutch East Indies Batavia was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia can refer to the city proper or its suburbs and hinterland, the Ommelanden, which included the much-larger area of the Residency ...

. Punsch usually has 25% alcohol by volume (ABV) and 30% sugar. While still made in Sweden by combining ingredients, since the later part of the 19th century it is frequently purchased as a bottled liqueur under various brand names. It is drunk both warmed and chilled.

Etymology

Originally, Swedish/Finnish punsch was a variant of

, which became a popular drink all over Europe in the 18th century, having been introduced in Britain from India in the late 17th century. Some believe the word ''punch/punsch'' came from a

loanword A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because th ...

from Persian ''panj'', meaning "five", as punch was originally made with five ingredients:

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

, water, and

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

s.Punch
at the Online Etymology Dictionary Others believe the word originates from the English ''puncheon'', which was a volumetric description for certain sized barrels used to transport alcohol on ships. The English spelling of the word was in Sweden and Germany adapted to local spelling rules, thus becoming ''punsch''.Spritmuseum: ''Punsch - varm eller kall''
(Swedish only) Relinked 2015-12-17 In Sweden, regular

is also served, but is instead known as ''bål'' (

bowl A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom forming a seamless curve. This makes ...

). Punsch became such a tradition in Sweden that it influenced the language: there are some 80 words in the Swedish dictionary derived from ''punsch''.

History of punsch

The

Swedish East India Company The Swedish East India Company ( sv, Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or ''SOIC'') was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with China and the Far East. The venture was inspired by the success of the Dutch East ...

started to import arrack with the arrival of their ship ''Fredricus Rex Sueciae'' to

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

in 1733. It quickly became popular, especially among the wealthy, who could afford the price of imported spirits and teas to make punsch. Later it spread through all levels of society, including students, the military, and fraternal orders, becoming a truly national drink.Karlshamns kulturkvarter: ''Punsch & Spelkort - Mera punsch''
(Swedish only) Relinked 2015-12-17 An early recipe for punsch was written by Pehr Osbeck, Olof Torén, and

Carl Gustaf Ekeberg Carl Gustaf Ekeberg (10 June 1716 – 4 April 1784) was a Swedish physician, chemist and explorer. He made several voyages to the East Indies and China as a sea captain. He brought back reports of the tea tree and wrote a number of books. Biog ...

in their 1771 book, ''A Voyage to China and the East Indies'': A testament to the widespread popularity of punsch or ''rack'' (arrack) are the songs of Swedish eighteenth century poet and composer

Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as well ...

. It is often mentioned in his three works ''Bacchi Tempel'' (1783), ''

Fredmans epistlar ''Fredmans epistlar'' (English: ''Fredman's Epistles'') is List of Fredman's Epistles, a collection of 82 poems set to music by Carl Michael Bellman, a major figure in Sweden, Swedish 18th century song. Though first published in 1790, it was cre ...

'' (1790) and ''

Fredmans sånger ''Fredmans sånger'' (in English, ''Fredman's Songs'' or ''Songs of Fredman'') is a collection of 65 poems and songs published in 1791 by the Swedish poet Carl Michael Bellman. As a follow-up to ''Fredmans epistlar'' from the previous year, the ...

'' (1791) about a group of fictional characters, drunkards, bohemians and prostitutes in contemporary

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

(see for example song no. 48 or epistle no. 41). Many drinking songs from that period are about the consumption of punsch. Swedish entertainer

Povel Ramel Baron Povel Karl Henric Ramel (; 1 June 1922 – 5 June 2007) was a Swedish entertainer. Ramel was a singer, pianist, vaudeville artist, author and a novelty song composer. His style was characterized by imaginative wit, both verbal and musical. ...

sang about punsch in the song ''Varför är där ingen is till punschen?'' The high point of punsch consumption was during the late nineteenth century, when the Swedes started frequenting restaurants and loved to end their dinner with

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

and half a bottle of punsch on the table, placed in an ice bucket. The drinking of punsch was also popular at home, and outdoor porches were sometimes referred to as ''punschverandas'', where the men drank punsch, told stories, and smoked cigars.

Use in food and drink

Until the 1840s, punsch was typically served warm and created just before consumption: a

sugarloaf A sugarloaf was the usual form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process in which dark molasses, a ri ...

was placed upright in a large bowl, hot water was poured over it to make the sugar dissolve, and arrack, unflavoured spirits and German

Rhine wine German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhineland-Palatinat ...

were added. Still warm, the drink was then served in cups. Punsch is also used as a flavoring agent or to increase the alcohol content for

glögg Glögg, gløgg or glögi ( da, gløgg, no, gløgg, sv, glögg, is, glögg, fo, gløgg, fi, glögi, et, glögi) is a spiced, usually alcoholic, mulled wine or spirit. It is a traditional Nordic drink during winter, especially around Chris ...

, the warmed Scandinavian

mulled wine Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is us ...

frequently associated with

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

. On Thursdays, punsch is traditionally served warm as an accompaniment to Swedish yellow pea and pork soup (''ärtsoppa'') and pancakes. It may also be served warm at winter festivals and at student

sittning A , or less commonly , 'academic table fest'. is in Sweden and Finland a seated meal held within a set time frame. In restaurants it may refer to a seating, i.e. the time given for a crowd to have their meal. The term is also used to denote the p ...

dinners. In 1845 the wine importing company J. Cederlunds Söner started selling premixed punsch in bottles. This was quickly followed by several other manufacturers, including in northern Germany, and the habit of also drinking punsch as a chilled

began to take hold. Apart from being drunk neat, punsch is mixed into cocktails. Among the more prevalent are the

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

cocktail (with rum & lime), the

Diki-Diki The diki-diki is a cocktail made with calvados, Swedish Punsch, and grapefruit juice, dating back to the 1920s where it was popular in London's higher-end American var scene but is now more commonly served as a Tiki drink. The original recipe call ...

(with apple brandy & grapefruit juice), and the ''Guldkant'' (or "gold rim", made with equal parts punsch & cognac).

Trader Vic's Trader Vic's is a restaurant and tiki bar chain headquartered in Emeryville, California, United States. Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. (December 10, 1902 in San Francisco – October 11, 1984 in Hillsborough, California) founded a chain of Polynesi ...

1947 ''Bartender's Guide'' includes the ''Turret Cocktail'' and its version of the Corpse Reviver No.2 with Swedish punsch. Other alcoholic drinks include the

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...

cocktail, ''Greta Garbo'', Malecon, and the Modernista. Mixed also for wine cocktails, pre-prohibition era bartender Charles Mahoney mixed equal parts Rhine wine and punsch to make a ''Prefeldt Highball''. Punsch is also added to sparkling wine to make a ''punsch royale''. Used as a flavoring syrup in desserts, it is a vital ingredient in the popular Swedish chocolate praline, known as ''punschpralin''. It is also used in the

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ma ...

called ''punschrulle'', and is associated with the

Runeberg torte Runeberg torte ( fi, runebergintorttu; sv, Runebergstårta) is a Finnish torte flavored with almonds and arrack or rum and weighing about 100 grams. It usually has raspberry jam encircled by a ring of icing on top. The torte is named after the Fi ...

. Punsch ice cream is an available flavor in Sweden.

Common brands

*Carlshamns Flaggpunsch (originally Sweden, but , manufactured in Finland) *Cederlunds Caloric (originally Sweden, but , manufactured in Finland) *Facile Punsch (Sweden) *Trosa Punsch (Sweden) *Helmi Arrakkipunssi (Finland) *Kronan Swedish Punsch (Sweden) *Roslags Punsch (Sweden) *Bellmanpunsch (Sweden) *Grönstedts Blå (Sweden, reintroduced in 2020)

Defunct brands

*Bil-Punsch (''Car Punsch'') *Hushålls-Punsch (''Household Punsch'') *Kavalleri-Punsch (''Cavalry Punsch'') *Student-Punsch *Sport-Punsch *Telefon-Punsch *Lunda-punsch

Etymology

History of punsch

Use in food and drink

Common brands

Defunct brands

References

Further reading