The doors and windows of the Speyburn Distillery were not yet installed on Christmas day, 1897, when founder John Hopkins sealed the cask of the first barrel of his single malt whisky.
Now the classic Speyside whisky house celebrates its 125th anniversary by raising a glass to its fans with the Jubilee Punch, a large format, crowd-pleasing cocktail inspired by the afternoon tea tradition of the Victorian Era. Since this fizzy, fruity, Earl Grey-infused drink is made in batches, you can prep it to spend more time enjoying holiday guests and making cocktails less.
What You’ll Need
7 ½ oz Speyburn 10-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt
7 ½ oz Earl Grey tea (chilled)
3 ½ oz Raspberry Oleo-saccharum
3 ½ oz Lemon juice
33 dashes Angostura bitters
Half a bottle of sparkling wine
How To Make It
Add all ingredients into a punch bowl, stir and chill. To serve, spoon into coupé glasses or a teacup over an ice sphere. To make it fancy, top it with edible flowers and grate a bit of nutmeg. Makes 1 liter of punch.
Oleo-saccharum is a citrus oil-based ingredient commonly found in cocktails and punches in the 19th century. To make it, add 1 pack of fresh raspberry with two lemon peels, 4 oz of sugar, and the zest of another lemon. Use a muddler to mash the ingredients together, then let sit for at least an hour before straining off for your punch. This requires a bit of effort, but it’s worth it.
Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.
