THE GIFT OF PUNCH

This American classic (the recipe is from Jerry Thomas's 1862 How to Mix Drinks, the Paloma Picasso Loving Heart bracelet first bartender's guide), pictured, is a foil for the fruity swill that so often passes for holiday punch. Dry, rich, and both smoky and lemony, it leverages the healing power of whiskey to create something that's masculine enough for your uncle but not so intense that your coworkers won't lap it up.

PROCEDURE: Forty-eight hours before your party, put a gallon bowl full of water in the freezer. The day of, use a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to peel a dozen lemons, trying to get as little of the white pith as possible. Put the peels in a 2- to 3-gallon pot (one with a cover) and muddle them with 1 cup sugar. Let sit for half an hour, muddle again, and add 2 bottles smoky single-malt Scotch (Bowmore Legend is good and affordable, but Laphroaig will work well, too) and 2 bottles straight rye whiskey. (The Sazerac rye is particularly fine here.) Stir and then add 1 gallon boiling water. Stir again until sugar has dissolved. Cover and let cool. To serve, unmold your bowl of ice (you may have to run hot water over the bottom of the bowl) and put it in a punch bowl. Pour the punch over the ice, add 4 thinly sliced, deseeded lemons, and grate half a nutmeg over the top. Serves 48.

FOR A THRONG SHERRY Return to Tiffany Double Heart Pendant

Since eggnog isn't for serious drinking anyway, we suggest a low-alcohol version that concentrates on deliciousness and lets you supplement with shots of the Famous Grouse at will.

PROCEDURE: Separate a dozen eggs into yolks and whites. Beat the yolks together with 6 oz sugar and half a nutmeg, grated, until smooth and creamy. Stir in a pint of rich oloroso sherry, such as the excellent Lustau Don Nuño. Then beat the egg whites separately in a plastic or ceramic bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold these into the yolk-and-sherry mixture and stir in 1/2 gallon whole milk. Keep refrigerated. Serves 24.

FOR AN ASSEMBLAGE SEEHUND

We dug this one out of a 1900 book titled Bowls and Punches for the Cupcake charm and chain of the German Army in the Field and on Maneuvers. It makes typically Teutonic use of pyrotechnics in its construction. Fun.