Nothing says ‘party’ like punch, so it’s no surprise that professional party planners Sebastien and Sheila Centner included a recipe for it in their first-ever book. Far from your standard bright red fruit punch, this concoction blends rum and Grand Marnier with the refined tastes of sage and fig for a taste that’s elegant – but not too elegant to please a crowd.
Eatertainment: Recipes and Ideas for Effortless Entertaining is filled with over 140 such recipes for hosting at home, sorted into three difficulty levels: Simple Entertaining, for events such as a first-time cocktail party or easy alfresco dinner; A Little More Effort, with ideas for spring luncheons and roast chicken dinners; and Pulling Out All The Stops – hello, seafood extravaganza and Sunday brunch extraordinaire. Everything from place-setting to loot bags is accounted for, with the Centners providing tips and tricks learned from their years running a leading event management and catering company (Eatertainment, which the inaugural book is named for).
The Sage-Fig Rum Punch is a tried-and-true recipe of the Centners.
Sage & Fig Rum Punch
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 2 oz white rum
- 1 oz Grand Marnier
- 2 tbsp sage-infused simple syrup see note
- ½ lemon juiced
- 2 oz Club Soda
- ½ fig for garnish
Sage Simple Syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 fresh sage sprigs
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Cocktail
- Fill glass with ice cubes. Pour rum, Grand Marnier, simple syrup and lemon juice over ice. Top with Soda Water, then stir gently to combine.
- Top with club soda and garnish with the fig. Fill glass with ice cubes. Pour gin, fresh grapefruit, simple syrup, soda and tonic over ice. Garnish with fig.
Sage Simple Syrup
- In a saucepan, bring sugar, water and sage to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool; strain then store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
