The Best Way to Keep Your Beat Cold
A pile of punch screams “party,” but a glass bowl – while very pretty – isn’t the best choice thermodynamically, especially if you’re serving outdoors. Add to that ice, which is known to melt, and your punch can quickly turn warm and watery.
To cope with this gruesome fate, Portland’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler takes a punch out of a bowl and insulates the ice. Morgenthaler, who not only runs two of my favorite bars, Clyde Common and Pépé le Moko, but has released a new, highly accessible cocktail book called Drinking Distilled: A User’s Manual, is ditching the traditional serving situation in favor of a vintage thermos brand … a cooler that keeps the beverage cold and eliminates the need for a ladle (which will inevitably fall to the ground).
Then, instead of making a big ice ring, he resorts to using resealable bags. “I fill it with punch (it should only fit halfway), [and] I wrap it in Ziploc freezer bags that I filled with ice,” he explained via email. melting ice will not dilute the drink! »For someone who loves cold drinks but hates watered down drinks, this seems ideal. (Oh, and if you want a very simple punch idea, Jeff loves the large Negroni Sbagilato format, which consists of just 750 milliliters of campari, sweet vermouth, and prosecco.)