Cooking Lesson #582: Royal Balmoral Punch

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

credit: Liquor.com

How you doin’? How do you feel about the Royal family? You know… Charlie III, Camilla, William, Kate and the utter crazies—Harry and Megan? They’re the two royals who tell tall tales about all the nasty doings inside “the firm?”
 
And soon we have a coronation to celebrate that will create another big opportunity for the wayward prince (Harry) and his not-so-fairy princess-wife to attempt to score more PR points on the world stage. So, to get ready for all the Royal festivities and folderol here is a Happy Hour cocktail—Royal Balmoral Punch—that may even take the scowl or smirk off of Megan’s unhappy face.
 
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house high atop a hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is one of the residences of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie west of Aberdeen.
 
The estate and its original castle were purchased from the Farquharson family in 1852 by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. It was also the summer residence of Queen Elizabeth II, who died there on September 8th last year.
 
The castle is an example of Scottish baronial architecture, and is classified by Historic Environment Scotland as a category A listed building. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle demolished shortly thereafter.
 
The Balmoral Estate has been expanded by successive members of the royal family, and now covers an area of approximately 50,000 acres. It is a working estate, including grouse moors, forestry and farmland, as well as managed herds of deer, Highland cattle, sheep and ponies.
 
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first visited Scotland in 1842, five years after she acceded to the throne and two years after their marriage. In 1848 an arrangement was made that Prince Albert would acquire the remaining part of the lease on Balmoral, together with its furniture and staff, without having seen the property first—it’s good to be royalty. 
 
They felt the house was too small and, in 1848, new designs were commissioned to build out new offices, cottages, and other ancillary buildings. Improvements were also made to the woodlands, gardens and estate buildings.
 
To celebrate this beautiful area in a manner befitting a king, prince, or even a crazy, tattle tale princess, we give you… Royal Balmoral Punch.
 
This punch recipe can easily be multiplied to serve a crowd—just mix up the right portions in a large punch bowl with one large block of ice.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yields:  2 servings
 
Ingredients 
3 ounces Glenfiddich 21-year-old single-malt scotch
2 ounces Granny Smith apple juice
1 ounce tea syrup (see ChefSecret below)
Sparkling lemonade, to top
Champagne, to top
Garnish: lemon wheel
Garnish: thistle (optional if you find one) By the way, in case you didn’t know, a thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterized by leaves with sharp prickle points on the margins
 
Directions

1. Add the scotch, apple juice and tea syrup to a shapely glass teacup and add a large ice cube.
2. Top with equal amounts of sparkling lemonade and Champagne and stir briefly to combine.
3. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a thistle, if desired. My picture doesn’t show a thistle… I couldn’t find one.

ChefSecret:  It’s easy to make Tea Syrup—combine 1 cup freshly hot brewed strong English Breakfast tea and 1 cup granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Quip of the Day:  Meghan Markle once asked the queen, "What's the secret of a long life?" To which the queen replied, "Wear a seat belt and don't piss me off!”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

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