Xalapa Punch Recipe

Xalapa Punch recipe — The spicy intellectual who studied abroad and won't stop talking about it. Made with brandy. Originally from Mexico.

I'm the friend who came back from a semester in Mexico speaking perfect Spanish and putting jalapeños on everything. I'm sophisticated enough for your dinner party but wild enough to make things interesting. Fair warning: I have layers you didn't expect.

Xalapa, the city this punch is named after, is the vanilla capital of Mexico and sits at 4,700 feet elevation in the cloud forests. The unique microclimate there creates a perpetual mist that's essential for growing the world's finest vanilla beans.

Created in the colonial mountain city of Xalapa around the 1850s, this punch was originally served at diplomatic gatherings between Mexican officials and foreign traders. The combination of local chilies with imported spirits represented the cultural fusion happening in this cosmopolitan hub.

Ingredients

• 2 oz brandy or cognac
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.75 oz orange juice (freshly squeezed)
• 0.5 oz jalapeño simple syrup
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1 slice jalapeño (for muddling)

Instructions

1. Gently muddle jalapeño slice in shaker.
2. Add brandy, lime juice, orange juice, and jalapeño syrup to shaker with ice.
3. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and double strain into punch cup over large ice cube.
4. Add 2 dashes orange bitters and garnish with orange wheel and cinnamon stick.

Category: cocktail | Difficulty: medium | Base spirit: brandy | ABV: 12.0-15.0%

Origin: Mexico