As with anything that has developed over a long time, definitions of Punch have changed over the years. In the 17th Century, you might throw some limes, rum and sugar in a bowl and call it ‘Punch’, whereas nowadays we usually call it ‘breakfast’. It’s just an evolution of terms but broadly speaking Punch is generally acknowledged to contain five distinct ingredients: a spirit, a citrus element, sugar in some form, a spice and a diluting element such as water or tea.
With this in mind, we thought we’d keep it simple: five headings, comprising drinks that are more prominent in their category with an added “curious and curiouser” section at the end for anyone who’s feeling like getting a bit disco.
Welcome to The Punch Room, take a little sip of history.
Unbutton your shirt, enjoy the company, enjoy the fire, think of Charles Dickens.
Previously, we guided you through the five elements that compose a traditional Punch. This time around, we’re focussing our tireless efforts on five influential firsts in the compelling timeline of the drinks rich history. In the same way you had your first slow dance in the school gymnasium to K-Ci and JoJo. Or, perhaps moving into your very own flat and lighting a cigarette indoors because you can; or even opening your first piddly paycheque and realising you’re grown AF; all of these things made you the raving lunatic you are today. Punch was no different.
From the ballast of a boat, to the beaches of Bermuda, the oft-understated importance of Punch as a forebearer to modern day drinking is infinite. So allow us the chance to box it up into five tidy chapters.
It’s the attention to the overall experience that makes the Punch Room comfortably one of the best bars in the world.
From the ballast of a boat, to the beaches of Bermuda, the often understated importance of Punch as a forebearer to modern day drinking is infinite.
A version of the Classical Elements existed in one form or another in most cultures globally. Across Ancient Greece, China, India and beyond, the five elements, Water, Air and Aether, were woven together to explain the cyclical, regenerative world around us and our relationship to it. These five elements are the literal building blocks of science and philosophy. Each section in this menu contains drinks that take one particular element as their jumping-off point, though the inspiration for the individual drinks comes from a wide range of places. Each one has its own story.
Across Ancient Greece, China, India and beyond, the five elements, Water, Air and Aether were woven together as a way of explaining the cyclical, regenerative world around us and our relationship to it. These five elements are the literal building blocks of science and philosophy.
Each section in this menu contains drinks that take one particular element as their jumping off point, though the inspiration for the individual drinks comes from a wide range of places. Each one has it’s own story.
Location | London, Shanghai
Client | Edition Hotels
Sector | Hospitality