DIY Swedish Punsch Recipe

By
Marcia Simmons
Marcia Simmons
Contributor
Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).
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Updated April 03, 2025
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Photograph: Marcia Simmons

The traditional way to serve Swedish Punsch is to warm it and pair it with a bowl of pea soup. Though that didn't exactly catch on in the States, Swedish Punsch is a key ingredient in many pre-Prohibition cocktails because of its funky, spiced flavor.

Notes: Swedish punch is traditionally made with gold rum and Batavia Arrack, a southeastern Asian liquor made from sugar cane and red rice. Because Batavia Arrack is hard to find, I've substituted cachaça, a Brazilian spirit made with fermented and distilled sugarcane juice. Gold rum doesn't add much flavor, and many traditional recipes omit it, so I skipped it to make the recipe simpler.

Recipe Details

DIY Swedish Punsch Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Active 10 mins
Infusing Time 32 hrs
Total 32 hrs 10 mins
Serves 12 servings
Makes 1 1/2 cups
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Ingredients

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 clove

  • 1 cardamom pod, crushed

  • 1 cup cachaça

  • 1 Darjeeling (or similar) tea bag

  • 1/2 cup hot water

  • 2/3 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Cut the lemon into thin slices and remove the seeds. Place entire slices in a sealable glass jar with the clove and crushed cardamom pod and add the cachaça. Seal and shake. Let the infusion sit for one day in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

  2. Steep the tea bag in the hot water for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the tea bag, add the sugar to the hot tea, and mix into a syrup. Let cool.

  3. Pour the infused cachaça through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Mix the infusion with the tea syrup. Let the mixture rest overnight. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 months.

Special equipment

Cheesecloth, fine-mesh strainer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
80 Calories
0g Fat
12g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg 26%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 18mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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