National Punch Day – September 20, 2022, history, significance why we celebrate
Punch is sort of “old school” meaning it’s not really soda, not really juice and not completely a cocktail. It’s punch and we love it so much — especially on National Punch Day, every September 20. Today, break out your favorite punch bowl and celebrate with different-colored concoctions. But first, a brief punch history.
We have sailors of the British East India Company to thank for popularizing the spread of punch, which originated somewhere in India. Thanks to a rise in sea travel during the 1600s, the popularity of this delicious drink began to spread. Today, punch seems to be more a celebratory drink, served at special occasions. Whether store-bought or home-made, one thing is for sure, punch is outrageously good, especially on National Punch Day!
History of National Punch Day
In order to understand the history of National Punch Day, we need to understand the history of the drink itself. Punch made its way to England in the 17th century. It did this via those who worked for the British East India Company.
They brought the drink to the UK. After this, it then spread across Europe, soon becoming an extremely popular drink, which was served at family gatherings and parties. While it is no longer as popular, as there are many types of cocktails and alcohol beverages to choose from today, you will still often see punch served at large events, especially college parties.
Punch is served in a punch bowl, which is a large bowl. These were a common household item in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. A lot of the bowls were passed down as heirlooms, as they came with ornate stands and were beautiful statement pieces.
NATIONAL PUNCH DAY TIMELINE
1632
Punch line
The first usage of the word “punch” goes back to 1632.
1638
A punchy recipe
A young German adventurer named Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo penned the oldest known punch recipe.
1671
The first punch houses began
Establishments dedicated to the distribution of punch began popping up all over England.
1934
Hawaiian Punch was invented
The childhood favorite, Hawaiian Punch, first made its way onto the scene.
NATIONAL PUNCH DAY ACTIVITIES
Make your own
Break out your favorite punch bowl and invite some friends over. Stock up on several different ingredients so that you can customize the punch exactly to everybody’s liking. Drink up!
Invest in a new punch bowl
Sure, punch is almost always delicious, but there’s no denying that this fun drink is even more tantalizing when it’s displayed in a pretty bowl. Investing in a punch bowl is a great way to ensure that you’ll be able to display beautiful drinks for family and friends. Ornate or simple, work that punch bowl!
Create your own punch recipe
The internet is filled with a ton of delicious punch recipes, but why not create a drink mix that is uniquely your own? Get creative by exploring with a few different ingredients. Taste testers won’t be hard to find!
3 PUNCH BOWL FACTS WITH, WELL, PUNCH!
Punch bowls are the new bottle service
Instead of offering bottle service, some bars are opting to simply serve up a giant bowl of boozy punch to the entire table.
Dive in
Courvoisier and Bompas & Parr hold the world record for the largest punch bowl ever: 4,000 liters.
Head case
According to some legends, Blackbeard’s skull was used as a punch bowl.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL PUNCH DAY
Punch quenches our thirst
Sure, gulping down some water is a great way to hydrate, but sometimes plain old H2O just doesn’t cut it. We don’t know about you, but when we’re at a party and thirst hits, looking around and finding a big punch bowl full of a delicious fruity beverage definitely hits the spot.
It’s easy to throw together
If you’re hosting a party, throwing together a quick punch is a great way to serve up a festive drink to your guests. With all of the different punch recipes that exist, you are sure to find a concoction to be the hit of the party.
Boozy or non-alcoholic versions are great
Punch is kid-friendly, but it is also an awesome drink to serve at a cocktail party. Keep it classy, or get a little wacky, as long as there’s some sugar and water (and maybe some booze) involved, we’re confident your punch recipe will become a crowd-pleaser.
