Making a batch for some friends tonight so thought I might document it here. I made a batch for one of the MoAs where it was well received. Depending on your ice/water adding strategy it makes ~5.5 quarts. Scale accordingly. The finished result is a deliciously complex florally sweet punch that isn't too cloying where I personally cannot pick out any of the individual ingredients they just integrate to something magical.
It's based on this recipe:
https://jeffreymorgenthaler.com/vacuum-seal-oleo-saccharum/
With a few ingredient substitutions I've adopted by way of my cocktail guru friend Dave who intro'd me to this. I've appended the substitutions to the recipe below - highly recommended. Especially if you can find some Francois Peyrot Peche -- I bought mine from Beltramos which closed 5-10 years ago and I haven't seen it anywhere since. Have a few bottles stashed so will go searching when I start running out 😜
1 pound superfine sugar
12 lemons, peeled
16 oz Appleton V/X rum
8 oz Smith and Cross rum
12 oz Hennessy VS cognac (Substitute: Pierre Ferrand Cognac - name has changed a few times but I just go with 1st Cru)
3 oz Briotette creme de peche (Substitute: Ideal - Francois Peyrot Peche au Cognac, but Matilde Liquer's Peche okay)
9 oz Laird's applejack
16 oz lemon juice, finely strained
6 pints cold water
Place sugar and lemon peels into a vaccum-seal bag and seal according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Let rest at room temperature for four hours, or overnight, until the sugar is soaked in lemon oil.
When punch is ready to assemble, pour contents into an eight-quart container and add the rest of the ingredients. Makes approximately 5½ quarts.
My friend Dave doesn't use the vacuum seal method for the oleo saccharum but it is very effective imo. I prep it the night before.
Pictures of the oleo saccharum before/after and the booze. Will post some pictures of the final product when friends come over, going to combine it then so they can smell the magic
deliciousness that is the oleo saccharum.
Other Dave Notes:
1. I also dilute it with about 1/2 to 1/4 the specified water. I always put it in lots of ice which also dilutes it. But I'd adjust to your taste. You can always add more water, but can't take it out!
2. You can divide the recipe by 4 and that's reasonable for 2-3 people. Haven't ever tried to make a smaller batch...
Right after vacuum sealing the
Ater 12hrs, I flip and mash the bag around to try and maximize contact between undissolved sugar and peelz. You can see some of the sugar has dissolved into yellow liquid. Mmm yellow liquid.
Booze LIneup
Telling you guys the Peyrot is f'ing magic.
