The Whole Table

Punch is the oldest party technology we have, and it works for the same reason it always did: nobody waits, nobody orders, and the bowl gives people a reason to stand in the same place. We batch this one the day before so the oleo has time to do its job.

Build, for twenty: a bottle of rhum agricole, a bottle of white port, the peeled and sugar-macerated skins of eight lemons, the juice of those lemons, a litre of strong cold-brewed green tea, and two litres of soda added at the last possible moment. One enormous block of ice, frozen in a loaf tin, so it melts slowly and dilutes the bowl on purpose rather than by accident.

Grate nutmeg over each cup as it is poured. It is not optional and we will not be taking questions.