Punch up my punch

October 28, 2022 8:16 AM

Cocktail enthusiasts and mixologists: what should I infuse my simple syrup with for my Halloween punch?

I am planning to make this punch for our Halloween party this weekend. From looking at the recipe, I feel like it could benefit from a little more complexity of flavor, so I'd like to infuse the simple syrup with something...but what? I've done thyme simple syrup for a grapefruit and gin cocktail, but not sure if that would go with these flavors. Any ideas welcome (especially if you've actually tried similar flavor combos)!

posted by too bad you're not me to Food & Drink (18 answers total)

Ginger!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 8:30 AM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

(You’d need a lot of ginger to add heat and flavor enough to register against mezcal and citrus, but I think it would taste amazing!)
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 8:32 AM on October 28, 2022

It looks like there's plenty of sour and sweet in the recipe. Depending on the flavor profile of the tequila or mezcal you use, you could add spice or smoke, or possibly a salted rim (less sure about that one). I would probably not add these to the simple syrup, though, just add directly to the cocktail before mixing. Fun idea!
posted by happy_cat at 8:33 AM on October 28, 2022

Response by poster: By the way, I'm making it with tequila, not mezcal, in case that influences any other answers.
posted by too bad you're not me at 8:40 AM on October 28, 2022

Anise would give a little gentle oomph out of left field, which could complement nicely (my reference for this is how one washes the glass with absinthe in a Sazerac or Bijou cocktail, leaving just a shadow of anise flavor, enough to create interest). Five star anise is a different flavor, but could also work great.
posted by marlys at 8:46 AM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

(But I’d definitely do a taste-try before committing to this for the whole batch!)
posted by marlys at 8:47 AM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

I’d add orgeat, AKA almond syrup, as a nice supporting flavor for both the citrus and the cherry.
posted by little mouth at 8:48 AM on October 28, 2022 [2 favorites]

Seconding the anise, and consider a little bit of clove.
posted by mezzanayne at 8:55 AM on October 28, 2022

Sumac can add a tart tangy earthy flavor on top of the citrus, just add a tablespoon when making the simple syrup.
posted by winesong at 9:15 AM on October 28, 2022

I'd want to try bird chiles, which go really well with citrus, but do a test batch.
posted by praemunire at 9:49 AM on October 28, 2022

Cardamom bitters and maybe some wood smoke would be aromatic and a little mysterious without fighting against the citrus.
posted by Mizu at 10:08 AM on October 28, 2022

Rosemary would be my choice. Of all the infused simple syrups I've made, it's the one where you can most taste the infusion. And it's a season-appropriate addition.
posted by lassie at 10:09 AM on October 28, 2022

Since Cherries is the strong unusual thing in the recipe I'd look to complement that. My copy of the Flavor Bible lists dozens and dozens of pairings for cherry. At quick glance, allspice sounds nice. Also they essential list all fruits and berries known to humankind so adding them to your simple syrup wouldn't be out of line.
posted by mmascolino at 10:12 AM on October 28, 2022

Cinnamon!
posted by cooker girl at 10:24 AM on October 28, 2022

Herb- and spice-infused syrups don't usually bring enough flavor to the table without making the drink way too sweet. One thing you could do is peel the oranges and lemons and grind the peels together with the sugar to transfer the citrus oils from the peels into the sugar (or you can pulse a few times in a food processor until the sugar starts too look damp). Then heat the whole thing together with water to make a syrup, strain out the peels and use the citrus-infused syrup. This is actually a very traditional punch-making technique (although this is far from a traditional punch) and does transfer some good flavor to the drink.
posted by slkinsey at 10:56 AM on October 28, 2022

If you can replace the water in the simple syrup with tonic water (the carbonation can be cooked out), it might have enough quinine after dilution to make the blood fluoresce under black/ UV light.
posted by porpoise at 11:50 AM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

Seconding slkinsey, make an oleo-saccharum with the peels, putting them in sugar really elevates the whole drink.
posted by Carillon at 11:51 AM on October 28, 2022

is jalapeño crazy? Or some other pepper? a la happy_cat, that might be too much in the simple syrup and might be better as a garnish or for salting the rim. (Although the red-icing-on-the-rim is >chef's kiss< for a blood-orange halloween cocktail, so maybe disregard this whole message.)
posted by adekllny at 7:23 PM on October 28, 2022