AUDREY ROSS' CHAMPAGNE PUNCH

FROM AUDREY ROSS, FORMER DANCER, NOW DIRECTOR OF NYC-BASEDAUDREY ROSS PUBLICITY, SPECIALIZING IN DANCE EVENTS

“In case anyone is having a fancy party, here’s a lovely one for Champagne Punch.”

— Audrey Ross

SERVES:
8-10

PREP TIME:
10 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
15 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 bottle champagne
1 bottle sauterne
1 6-oz orange juice (dilute with 2 cups and taste)
1 6-oz lemonade (dilute with 2 cups and taste)
1 large container sherbet, any flavor
strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Mix all and enjoy!

LEMON SHANDY

FROM ARTHUR MITCHELL, CO-FOUNDER OF DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM

RECIPE PASSED ON BY EDWARD SCHOELWER, OWNER OF RED SHELL MGMT

“Arthur Mitchell, the co-founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem, was a well-known teetotaler. At gala events he might sip on a glass of champagne for form’s sake for a toast, but never finish it. But on rare occasions, especially when he felt like celebrating, his alcoholic beverage of choice was a shandy. A shandy is a beverage most popular in the UK and in the Caribbean.”

— Edward Schoelwer, Founder of Red Shell Management

SERVES:
3+

PREP TIME:
35 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
4 strips of lemon zest (about 3 inches in length)
3 cups water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch of fresh grated ginger
Chilled beer, preferably a pale ale

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and stir in zest.  Cool sugar syrup to room temperature.

Transfer syrup to a small pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups water, lemon juice, and grated ginger.  Chill lemonade until cold.  (Makes about 4 ½ cups lemonade.)

Pour ¼ cup lemonade, or to taste, into a chilled beer glass and top off with beer.  Think of Mr. Mitchell when you drink it.

RECIPE FOR CHU-HI OR SHOCHU HIGHBALL

FROM STEPHEN PIER, DIRECTOR OF THE DANCE DIVISION AT HARTT SCHOOL

Shochu is a fermented beverage with Japanese origins, but it is also distilled in the United States.  In Japan overall sales of shochu surpass sales of sake—it is safe to say that it is a very popular drink.  

The shochu highball, more popularly known as a chu-hai, is a combination of shochu, fruit juice and soda water.  Bartender Orlando Franklin McCray has developed a formula that Stephen likes, and it is provided below.

SERVES:
1

PREP TIME:
2 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
4 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1½ ounces shochu
½ ounce Bittermens Commonwealth Tonic Liqueur
4 ounces Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit soda
Garnish: grapefruit zest or twist, finishing salt

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients in a Collins glass filled with ice.

Swizzle to combine ingredients.

Garnish with grated grapefruit zest or a grapefruit twist, and finish with a pinch of salt.

SNAKE BITE (RUM PUNCH)

FROM GEOFFREY HOLDER, TRINIDADIAN-AMERICAN ACTOR, DANCER, MUSICIAN, AND ARTIST

FROM GEOFFREY’S CARIBBEAN COOKBOOK

“I once turned Lena Horne on with punch, and she sparkled. It’ll do the same to you and your friends!”

— GEOFFREY HOLDER

SERVES:
ABOUT 30

PREP TIME:
10 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
12 HR

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INGREDIENTS

2 quarts light or dark rum
8 cups dry white wine
2 cups lemon juice
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup maraschino cherries
1 ½ cups fresh fruit, diced
2 cups pineapple, canned or fresh
orange slices for garnish
½ teaspoon bitters

DIRECTIONS

Combine all the ingredients except for the orange slices in a large punch bowl and put it in the freezer overnight.  One hour before your guests arrive, remove bowl from the freezer and garnish with the orange.