Mixing with Jessica Nguyen: Ladies’ Lunch Punch

Perfect for your next garden party or tricked-up picnic, the Ladies’ Lunch Punch is fresh, fruity and sure to please a crowd. “I call this a stress-less cocktail because it’s fun and aesthetically very pleasing, but you can make it all ahead of time,” says home cook and recipe writer Jessica Nguyen. “When guests arrive, you just bring it to the table and everyone can serve themselves.”

The Ladies’ Lunch Punch can be served in a jug, but there’s something a bit fun and retro about a punch bowl. Lover of a theme, Jessica recommends serving this in mismatched vintage glasses, “I’ve been on the hunt for a great ’80s-style punch bowl with the matching ladle and punch coupes. They’re so great.”

For anyone not such a big a fan of gin, that’s so problem. It can be very easily subbed for vodka, a white rum or perhaps even a whiskey. All will subtly shift the flavours, so there’s plenty of room for experimentation here.  

Another good tip, especially when you’re using a large punch bowl, is to upsize your ice. We’re talking big blocks. As in tupperware or takeaway containers filled with water and frozen ahead of time. Using ice blocks of that size in your punch bowl will slow their melting and dilution of the drink, keeping things chilled and in balance for longer.