Endless Summer Punch

I approach most punches with whatever is in season (duh). At Prime Meats I'm blessed with a ridiculously large walk-in, an encouraging kitchen staff, and a phenomenal support team that sources fresh and organic produce from the Hudson Valley and Pennsylvannia. Around mid-summer we started getting some really fantastic wild-seed TriStar strawberries, but that's for another post. Around the same time, and even now as the season comes to a close, we're getting some great raspberries.

Now, the season really is coming to a close. Take a walk around New York City today and you're in for some beautiful sweater weather, the first day like it in the season. This kind of weather makes me want to wear camel hair coats and get all literary up in here. Anyone will tell you that I love alliteration in a punch. Its a great literary device so why can't it be a good culinary device? With that I give you my first bespoke punch:

Endless Summer Punch - Raspberry, Rooibos Tea, and Rum:

8 oz Raspberry Syrup
14 oz Rum (I used the Rhum Barbancourt 8 year)
8 oz Rooibos Tea
4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 of a Cucumber (thinly sliced and quartered, as garnish and slight aromatic)
8 sprigs of Mint
20 or so Raspberries (again as a garnish and aromatic)
2 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Prepare Raspberry syrup by muddling half a pint of raspberries with boiling water and about 6 oz of sugar, to taste (depending on ripeness of raspberries), strain and bottle. Prepare Rooibos tea and allow to cool. Add all liquid ingredients and stir. Garnish with mint leaves, raspberries and sliced cucumber.

This little guy can be a bit boozy, so stretch it out with some sparkling water if you so desire (I tend to make everything sparkly, I mean it's way more fun right?).

A delicious Prime Daiquiri on the left and a glass of Endless Summer Punch on the right.

Enjoy!!!


Oh! And in the interest of keeping things moving, my good friend Nick Jarrett of The Franklin (Death & Co. outpost in Philly) will be posting today about the recent Punch Party in Philadelphia.