Alex Day of Death & Co. named this punch after famous ex-bootlegger, Sherman Billingsley. I’ve made this recipe a few times and have modified it slightly from the original based on the preferences of myself and my guests. I’m not saying the Death & Co. recipe is wrong, just that I’ve opted to make this punch a little less sweet and a tad more boozy.
As with all punches, the two things to keep in mind are that you always want the punch to be cold and remain fizzy if carbonated. Freeze a large block of ice for use in the punch bowl, and don’t add the club soda to the punch too far in advance of guests’ arrival. You can also opt for guests adding their own chilled club soda to dilute the punch to the preferred level. The downside to this is that there is always that one guy who didn’t get the memo and will drink undiluted punch all night.
Cheers!
Billingsley Punch
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 18 ounces gin
- 6 ounces Aperol
- 6 ounces grapefruit juice
- 6 ounces lemon juice
- 12 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 22 ounces club soda
Instructions
- Combine sugar and gin in a pitcher and stir until dissolved.
- Add remaining ingredients with the exception of the club soda.
- Fill pitcher ¾ with ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into punch bowl containing a large ice block.
- Add the club soda or alternatively allow guests to self-serve and add club soda according to preference.
Notes
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