5 refreshing gin & tonic punchbowl recipes for your house parties

Recipe by Zachary de Git, Spirits Advisor of EC Proof Flat

Serves 15

INGREDIENTS

For the punch: 
250ml black tea (brew 20g black tea with 300ml and steep for 6min)
200ml lemon juice
50ml St Germaine Elderflower Liqueur*
600ml Ford’s Gin*
15ml angostura bitters*

For the oleo sacharin:
150g castor sugar
Zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange

To serve: 
A bucket of ice 
600ml East Imperial Burma Tonic
2 oranges, sliced into wheels and seeds removed

*Available from The Proof Flat by EC Proof, 43A Hong Kong Street, tel: 8228-0113, ecproof.com. Open Mon to Sat, 11am-7pm. 

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the oleo sacharin, place the castor sugar in a ziplock bag, then squeeze each citrus zest over the sugar to release the oils. Add the zest, combine well, then compact the mixture in the ziplock. Press out as much air as possible from the ziplock bag before sealing. Set aside overnight.
2. Strain the black tea and combine the tea liquid with the oleo sacharin.
3. Transfer the mixture into the punchbowl. Pour in the rest of the punch ingredients. Mix well, and keep chilled in the fridge.
4. To serve, top up the punchbowl with ice. Add tonic, stir well, then garnish with the orange wheels.

Check out Zac’s cocktails at Crackerjack, 43 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 8121-1462.

Recipe by the Nutmeg & Clove team

Serves 12 to 15

INGREDIENTS

For the punch:
150ml lychee syrup*
50ml passionfruit syrup*
100ml fresh lemon juice
450ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin

To serve: 
A bucket of ice
350ml tonic water 
100ml Singha soda water
1 cup lychee pearls* (optional)

*Available at Phoon Huat outlets, including 171 Bencoolen Street, tel: 6338-1143. 

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the fruit syrups and lemon juice into a large punchbowl.
2. Add the gin. Stir well. 
3. When you’re ready to serve, add the ice cubes, stir well, then top off with tonic and soda water. Garnish with lychee pearls. 

Check out Nutmeg & Clove’s cocktails at 10 Ann Siang Hill, tel: 9389-9301. 

Recipe by Symphony Loo, bar manager at Neon Pigeon & Fat Prince

Serves 15

For the punch: 
375ml lemon juice
150ml simple syrup (make simple syrup by combining sugar and warm water on a 1:1 ratio)
450ml strawberry puree

To serve: 
A bucket of ice
4 strawberries, thinly sliced
4 lemons, thinly sliced into wheels and seeds removed
15 strips lemon zest
300ml East Imperial Tonic

For the cinnamon gin:
1 stick cinnamon 
450ml Beefeater Gin     

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the cinnamon gin, infuse gin with a cinnamon stick for at least 24 hours. Strain before using.
2. In a punchbowl, combine all the punch ingredients. 
3. Fill up with ice, and stir for 30s. 
4. Ladle the punch (without any ice) into champagne glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of strawberry, 2 lemon wheels, and a lemon zest. Top up with tonic. 

Check out Symphony’s cocktails at Neon Pigeon, 1 Keong Saik Road, tel: 6222-3623; and at Fat Prince, #01-01, 48 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6221-3683. 

Recipe by Symphony Loo, bar manager at Neon Pigeon & Fat Prince

Serves 15

INGREDIENTS 

For the punch:
450ml Beefeater Gin (Cold Storage)
225ml Hakushika Taru Sake (Fair Price)
150ml lemon juice
300ml white peach puree (blitz canned peaches with the canning liquid into a smooth puree, and chill for at least 6 hours)

To serve: 
A bucket of ice
300ml East Imperial Tonic
30 basil leaves

*Beefeater Gin and Hakushika Taru Sake are available at Cold Storage and Fairprice supermarkets respectively. 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a punchbowl, combine all the ingredients except the tonic and ice.
2. To serve, fill up high ball glasses with ice and ladle in the punch. Stir for 30s.
3. Garnish each glass with 2 basil leaves, then top up with tonic. 

Check out Symphony’s cocktails at Neon Pigeon, 1 Keong Saik Road, tel: 6222-3623; and at Fat Prince, #01-01, 48 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6221-3683. 
 

Recipe by Peter Chua and Zachary de Git, head barmen of Crackerjack

Serves 15

For the punch:
230ml hot peppermint tea
600ml St George Botanivore Gin*
150ml Cocchi Americano*
200ml lime juice

For the oleo sacharin:
150g castor sugar
Zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange

For the watermelon juice:
650g watermelon
300g castor sugar

To serve: 
A bucket of ice 
600ml East Imperial Burma Tonic*
5 sprigs mint
1 lemon, sliced into wheels and seeds removed    
1 lime, sliced into wheels and seeds removed    

*Cocchi Americano is a wine-based aperitif from Italy’s Asti province. Available from The Proof Flat by EC Proof, 43A Hong Kong Street, tel: 8228-0113. Open Mon to Sat, 11am-7pm. 

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the oleo sacharin, place the castor sugar in a ziplock bag, then squeeze each citrus zest over the sugar to release the oils. Add the zest, combine well, then compact the mixture in the ziplock. Press out as much air as possible from the ziplock bag before sealing. Set aside overnight.
2. To make the watermelon juice, blitz the watermelon in a blender, then use a fine sieve to strain out the pulp. Stir in 300g castor sugar until dissolved. Set aside 200ml of this syrup for the cocktail.  
3. Combine the oleo saccharin with the hot peppermint tea until all the sugar has dissolved.
4. In the punchbowl, combine the rest of the punch ingredients. Mix well, and keep chilled in the fridge.
5. To serve, fill up the punchbowl with ice, then top with tonic. Garnish with mint sprigs and citrus wheels. 

Check out Peter and Zac’s cocktails at Crackerjack, 43 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 8121-1462.